After his re-election triumph, President Hassan Rouhani must now grapple with a fiercely hostile United States and hardliners at home as he struggles to build a more moderate and connected Iran.

Iran&#39;s entrenched conservative establishment -- particularly in the judiciary and elite Revolutionary Guards -- remain deeply suspicious of Rouhani&#39;s talk of civil liberties and building ties with the West.

&quot;The non-elected institutions will try to prevent Rouhani from applying his reform agenda,&quot; said Clement Therme, Iran analyst for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

&quot;So he will focus on the economic side. If the daily lives of the population improve, he will be in a stronger position to push for structural reforms on civil rights.&quot;

Fixing the economy will not be easy. Despite a nuclear deal with world powers, Washington still maintains a raft of sanctions that are scaring off global banks and foreign investors.

US President Donald Trump has gone further, threatening to tear up the nuclear deal and visiting Iran&#39;s bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend, where he signed a $110 billion arms deal described as targeting &quot;malign Iranian influence&quot; in the region.

Nonetheless, European and Asian governments are determined to keep the nuclear deal alive and take full advantage of the lucrative investment opportunities in Iran.

They are cheered by Rouhani&#39;s victory over hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who had threatened a tougher, more insular approach to foreign relations.

&quot;A lot of investors I hadn&#39;t heard from for three months were suddenly phoning me this morning. Some are already booking their tickets,&quot; said Farid Dehdilani, international adviser for the Iranian Privatisation Organisation after results were announced on Saturday.

&quot;Dr Rouhani will more aggressively pursue his economic agenda -- investing in factories, production and absorbing foreign capital. I think he&#39;ll make his cabinet younger and more agile,&quot; he said.

&#39;A smarter politician&#39;&nbsp;

Challenging the security forces, which control large swathes of the economy and need Iran&#39;s resources as a source of patronage, will be tough.

And Rouhani notably failed to win the release of jailed opposition leaders or prevent the arrest of several dual nationals by intelligence services outside his control.

Many fear his second term could mirror that of reformist president Mohammad Khatami in the early 2000s, when every attempt at reform was frustrated by the hardline establishment.

But Rouhani, a long-time regime insider, may be better placed than his predecessors, said politics professor Foad Izadi, of Tehran University.

&quot;Rouhani has shown himself to be a smarter politician than Khatami was,&quot; said Izadi.

&quot;He&#39;s been part of the system long enough to know how to navigate it. Khatami was more ideological which reduced his ability to get things done.&quot;

Crucially, Rouhani&#39;s technocratic approach has allowed him to co-opt key conservatives such as parliament speaker Ali Larijani.

&quot;The alliance with Larijani has been very helpful to Rouhani in getting his ministers and policies approved. That will continue to be crucial in his second term,&quot; said Izadi.

Next supreme leader?&nbsp;

The big long-term question is whether Rouhani can influence the rise of the next supreme leader after the death of the ageing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Raisi, touted as a possible successor, is now out of the running, said Izadi.

&quot;Maybe he will come back in four years, but with this type of showing we can rest assured that Raisi will not be the next supreme leader. The leader must show popular support.&quot;

But with hardliners firmly in control of the Assembly of Experts that will choose the next leader, Rouhani and his allies have little influence over the succession.

Nonetheless, this weekend&#39;s election has given a clear indication that Iran&#39;s youthful population supports his vision for the country&#39;s future.

&quot;Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change,&quot; said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group.

&quot;They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country&#39;s predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations.&quot;

(AFP)

The Iranian non-elected establishment is keenly distrubed by Hassan Rouhani's talk of expanding civil liberties and building bridges with the West

After his re-election triumph, President Hassan Rouhani must now grapple with a fiercely hostile United States and hardliners at home as he struggles to build a more moderate and connected Iran. Iran's entrenched conservative establishment -- particularly in the judiciary and elite Revolutionary Guards -- remain deeply suspicious of Rouhani's talk of civil liberties and building ties with the West. "The non-elected institutions will try to prevent Rouhani from applying his reform agenda," said Clement Therme, Iran analyst for the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "So he will focus on the economic side. If the daily lives of the population improve, he will be in a stronger position to push for structural reforms on civil rights." Fixing the economy will not be easy. Despite a nuclear deal with world powers, Washington still maintains a raft of sanctions that are scaring off global banks and foreign investors. US President Donald Trump has gone further, threatening to tear up the nuclear deal and visiting Iran's bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend, where he signed a $110 billion arms deal described as targeting "malign Iranian influence" in the region. Nonetheless, European and Asian governments are determined to keep the nuclear deal alive and take full advantage of the lucrative investment opportunities in Iran. They are cheered by Rouhani's victory over hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who had threatened a tougher, more insular approach to foreign relations. "A lot of investors I hadn't heard from for three months were suddenly phoning me this morning. Some are already booking their tickets," said Farid Dehdilani, international adviser for the Iranian Privatisation Organisation after results were announced on Saturday. "Dr Rouhani will more aggressively pursue his economic agenda -- investing in factories, production and absorbing foreign capital. I think he'll make his cabinet younger and more agile," he said. 'A smarter politician' Challenging the security forces, which control large swathes of the economy and need Iran's resources as a source of patronage, will be tough. And Rouhani notably failed to win the release of jailed opposition leaders or prevent the arrest of several dual nationals by intelligence services outside his control. Many fear his second term could mirror that of reformist president Mohammad Khatami in the early 2000s, when every attempt at reform was frustrated by the hardline establishment. But Rouhani, a long-time regime insider, may be better placed than his predecessors, said politics professor Foad Izadi, of Tehran University. "Rouhani has shown himself to be a smarter politician than Khatami was," said Izadi. "He's been part of the system long enough to know how to navigate it. Khatami was more ideological which reduced his ability to get things done." Crucially, Rouhani's technocratic approach has allowed him to co-opt key conservatives such as parliament speaker Ali Larijani. "The alliance with Larijani has been very helpful to Rouhani in getting his ministers and policies approved. That will continue to be crucial in his second term," said Izadi. Next supreme leader? The big long-term question is whether Rouhani can influence the rise of the next supreme leader after the death of the ageing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi, touted as a possible successor, is now out of the running, said Izadi. "Maybe he will come back in four years, but with this type of showing we can rest assured that Raisi will not be the next supreme leader. The leader must show popular support." But with hardliners firmly in control of the Assembly of Experts that will choose the next leader, Rouhani and his allies have little influence over the succession. Nonetheless, this weekend's election has given a clear indication that Iran's youthful population supports his vision for the country's future. "Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change," said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. "They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country's predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations." (AFP)

President Rouhani's next challenge? Battling hawks in Iran and US

President Hassan Rouhani was leading in Iran&#39;s election with more than half of votes counted on Saturday, the head of the election committee announced.&nbsp;

Out of 25.9 million votes counted, Rouhani had 14.6 million and his hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi 10.1 million, said Ali Asghar Ahmadi on state television.

A huge turnout on Friday -- estimated at more than 40 million out of 56 million registered voters -- led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues.&nbsp;

Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, has framed the vote as a choice between greater civil liberties and &quot;extremism&quot;.&nbsp;

But he has faced stiff competition from hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, 56, who positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Out of 25.9 million votes counted, Rouhani had 14.6 million and his hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi 10.1 million

President Hassan Rouhani was leading in Iran's election with more than half of votes counted on Saturday, the head of the election committee announced. Out of 25.9 million votes counted, Rouhani had 14.6 million and his hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi 10.1 million, said Ali Asghar Ahmadi on state television. A huge turnout on Friday -- estimated at more than 40 million out of 56 million registered voters -- led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues. Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, has framed the vote as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism". But he has faced stiff competition from hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, 56, who positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much tougher line with the West. (AFP)

Iran President Rouhani leading in election: Election official

Iran, the Middle East&#39;s second largest power by economy and population, is the Shiite Muslim rival of regional Sunni giant Saudi Arabia.

Second biggest economy

Iran&nbsp;has the region&#39;s second largest economy after Saudi Arabia. With 79.11 million inhabitants (2015, World Bank), it is also the second most populous country in the Middle East, after Egypt.

A founding member of OPEC, it has the world&#39;s fourth-biggest oil reserves and the second-largest gas reserves, after Russia.

In 2014, income per capita was $6,550.

Some economic sanctions imposed on&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;over its nuclear programme have been lifted since mid-January 2016, allowing Tehran to resume oil exports and pick up trade with the European Union.

However, the fall in the price of crude has weighed on the economy.

Unemployment officially stands at 12.5 per cent, including 27 per cent of young people -- which analysts say is an understatement -- and foreign investment is only trickling in.

Shia&nbsp;Muslim power

Iran&nbsp;has an area of 1,648,195 square kilometres (659,278 square miles).

The descendant of the Persian Empire, it was long a monarchy ruled by a shah and dominated by the Pahlavi dynasty from 1925 to 1979.

In January 1979, shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was driven out by a popular revolt. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a revolutionary cleric who had lived in exile for a decade and a half, made a triumphant return on February 1.

The shah&#39;s government fell 10 days later when public radio announced &quot;the end of 2,500 years of despotism&quot;.

An Islamic republic was proclaimed on April 1.

Between 1980 and 1988&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;fought a war with Iraq in which more than a million people were killed.

Rivalry with Saudis

For centuries, Shiite-majority&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;has competed with Turks and Arabs for regional supremacy. Currently, its main rival is Sunni heavyweight Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

The two countries have taken opposing sides in wars in Syria and Yemen.

In Syria, Tehran backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the minority Alawite community, against Sunni rebels supported by Riyadh.

In Yemen, Saudi Arabia fights in support of pro-government forces against&nbsp;Iran-backed rebels and their allies.

Conservatives, reformers, moderates

After Khomeini died in 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, president since October 1981, became supreme leader.

Moderate conservative Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was elected president and orchestrated economic reforms.

After eight years of rule by reformist president Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in 2005. His re-election&nbsp;in June 2009 sparked a massive political crisis and a crackdown on nationwide protests that decimated the reformist movement.

Historic nuclear accord

After taking office on August 3, 2013, President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate cleric, relaunched formal negotiations with major powers on&nbsp;Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

An historic accord was signed on July 14, 2015 and implemented on January 16, 2016, bringing a 13-year-long dispute to a close.&nbsp;

Terms of the accord stipulate that Tehran will not try to build a nuclear bomb, an ambition it has always denied. In exchange, many international sanctions were lifted although remaining US sanctions continue to stifle trade.

State institutions

The highest political authority is the supreme leader, who has the final say on all national issues.

The president, elected for four years by universal suffrage, nominates the government.

The Assembly of Experts is a body of elected clerics that oversees the functions of the supreme leader. Constitutionally, it has powers to select and even dismiss the leader.

Parliament&#39;s powers are limited when compared to other institutions, and it is vetted by the Guardian Council.

The Expediency Council is&nbsp;Iran&#39;s top political arbitration body, tasked with resolving disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council and of advising the supreme leader.

The Revolutionary Guards are the elite arm of the country&#39;s military, and deeply embedded in Iranian political and economic life.

A primer on this year&#39;s election

Over 1,600 Iranians, of which 100 were women,&nbsp;threw their hats in the ring to be the next president. The Guardian Council whittled down the list to six candidates, none of whom were women.

The shortlisted names were incumbent President Hussain Rouhani, incumbent vice president Eshaq Jahangiri, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Mir-Salim and Mostafa Hashemitaba.

Ghalibaf and Jahangiri have dropped out in the last two days, leaving four candidates for the country&#39;s presidential post.

But it is widely suggested that this year&#39;s election will be a two-horse race between the current president and the hardline cleric Raisi.

Who is Rouhani?

With his snow-white beard, he comes across as jovial and scholarly, if not overly charismatic, when speaking in public.

He has presented himself as the candidate of change and social freedoms, attacking his opponents as &quot;extremists&quot; whose &quot;era is over&quot;.

His first term did see a groundbreaking 2015 deal with world powers that ended many sanctions and a 13-year standoff over&nbsp;Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

But critics say he over-sold the economic benefits of the deal, and despite taming inflation, his popularity has been dented by continuing stagnation and high unemployment.

And while social restrictions have eased to some degree during his tenure, many journalists and political activists still face arbitrary arrest, and his efforts to release jailed opposition leaders have failed.

A Bill of Rights he announced in late 2016 was roundly dismissed by critics since it failed to impose any changes on the conservative-dominated judiciary and intelligence services.

Still, many young urbanites consider him the best hope for change.

Who is Raisi?

Born into a religious family in the holy city of Mashhad on August 23, 1960, Raisi wears the black turban of a &quot;seyed&quot; whose genealogy is said to lead back to Islam&#39;s Prophet Mohammed.

In public, he has an austere charisma, and is surrounded by an entourage with ties to the Islamic regime&#39;s most hardline elements.

He has focused his campaign on the poor, brandishing his credentials as the head of the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, which is also a powerful and hugely wealthy charitable foundation.

&quot;I represent the workers, the farmers, the impoverished women,&quot; he says, vowing to triple cash hand-outs.

It is a message that has fallen on fertile ground at a time when unemployment is at least 12.5 percent and almost everyone is feeling the stagnation of the economy.&nbsp;

He does not oppose the nuclear deal signed with world powers in 2015, which lifted sanctions in exchange for curbs to&nbsp;Iran&#39;s atomic programme.&nbsp;

But he says the current government&#39;s negotiating efforts were &quot;weak&quot; and called for a much tougher line &quot;in the face of the enemy&quot;.&nbsp;

There is little chance Raisi will ease social restrictions or release opposition leaders held under house arrest since the 2009 protest movement, known to conservatives as &quot;the sedition&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Those who sympathise with the heads of sedition must know that the great nation of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;will never forgive this great injustice,&quot; he said in 2014.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The election is being primarily fought between moderate President Hassan Rouhani and hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi

Iran, the Middle East's second largest power by economy and population, is the Shiite Muslim rival of regional Sunni giant Saudi Arabia. Second biggest economy Iran has the region's second largest economy after Saudi Arabia. With 79.11 million inhabitants (2015, World Bank), it is also the second most populous country in the Middle East, after Egypt. A founding member of OPEC, it has the world's fourth-biggest oil reserves and the second-largest gas reserves, after Russia. In 2014, income per capita was $6,550. Some economic sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme have been lifted since mid-January 2016, allowing Tehran to resume oil exports and pick up trade with the European Union. However, the fall in the price of crude has weighed on the economy. Unemployment officially stands at 12.5 per cent, including 27 per cent of young people -- which analysts say is an understatement -- and foreign investment is only trickling in. Shia Muslim power Iran has an area of 1,648,195 square kilometres (659,278 square miles). The descendant of the Persian Empire, it was long a monarchy ruled by a shah and dominated by the Pahlavi dynasty from 1925 to 1979. In January 1979, shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was driven out by a popular revolt. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a revolutionary cleric who had lived in exile for a decade and a half, made a triumphant return on February 1. The shah's government fell 10 days later when public radio announced "the end of 2,500 years of despotism". An Islamic republic was proclaimed on April 1. Between 1980 and 1988 Iran fought a war with Iraq in which more than a million people were killed. Rivalry with Saudis For centuries, Shiite-majority Iran has competed with Turks and Arabs for regional supremacy. Currently, its main rival is Sunni heavyweight Saudi Arabia. The two countries have taken opposing sides in wars in Syria and Yemen. In Syria, Tehran backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the minority Alawite community, against Sunni rebels supported by Riyadh. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia fights in support of pro-government forces against Iran-backed rebels and their allies. Conservatives, reformers, moderates After Khomeini died in 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, president since October 1981, became supreme leader. Moderate conservative Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was elected president and orchestrated economic reforms. After eight years of rule by reformist president Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in 2005. His re-election in June 2009 sparked a massive political crisis and a crackdown on nationwide protests that decimated the reformist movement. Historic nuclear accord After taking office on August 3, 2013, President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate cleric, relaunched formal negotiations with major powers on Iran's nuclear programme. An historic accord was signed on July 14, 2015 and implemented on January 16, 2016, bringing a 13-year-long dispute to a close. Terms of the accord stipulate that Tehran will not try to build a nuclear bomb, an ambition it has always denied. In exchange, many international sanctions were lifted although remaining US sanctions continue to stifle trade. State institutions The highest political authority is the supreme leader, who has the final say on all national issues. The president, elected for four years by universal suffrage, nominates the government. The Assembly of Experts is a body of elected clerics that oversees the functions of the supreme leader. Constitutionally, it has powers to select and even dismiss the leader. Parliament's powers are limited when compared to other institutions, and it is vetted by the Guardian Council. The Expediency Council is Iran's top political arbitration body, tasked with resolving disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council and of advising the supreme leader. The Revolutionary Guards are the elite arm of the country's military, and deeply embedded in Iranian political and economic life. A primer on this year's election Over 1,600 Iranians, of which 100 were women, threw their hats in the ring to be the next president. The Guardian Council whittled down the list to six candidates, none of whom were women. The shortlisted names were incumbent President Hussain Rouhani, incumbent vice president Eshaq Jahangiri, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Mir-Salim and Mostafa Hashemitaba. Ghalibaf and Jahangiri have dropped out in the last two days, leaving four candidates for the country's presidential post. But it is widely suggested that this year's election will be a two-horse race between the current president and the hardline cleric Raisi. Who is Rouhani? With his snow-white beard, he comes across as jovial and scholarly, if not overly charismatic, when speaking in public. He has presented himself as the candidate of change and social freedoms, attacking his opponents as "extremists" whose "era is over". His first term did see a groundbreaking 2015 deal with world powers that ended many sanctions and a 13-year standoff over Iran's nuclear programme. But critics say he over-sold the economic benefits of the deal, and despite taming inflation, his popularity has been dented by continuing stagnation and high unemployment. And while social restrictions have eased to some degree during his tenure, many journalists and political activists still face arbitrary arrest, and his efforts to release jailed opposition leaders have failed. A Bill of Rights he announced in late 2016 was roundly dismissed by critics since it failed to impose any changes on the conservative-dominated judiciary and intelligence services. Still, many young urbanites consider him the best hope for change. Who is Raisi? Born into a religious family in the holy city of Mashhad on August 23, 1960, Raisi wears the black turban of a "seyed" whose genealogy is said to lead back to Islam's Prophet Mohammed. In public, he has an austere charisma, and is surrounded by an entourage with ties to the Islamic regime's most hardline elements. He has focused his campaign on the poor, brandishing his credentials as the head of the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, which is also a powerful and hugely wealthy charitable foundation. "I represent the workers, the farmers, the impoverished women," he says, vowing to triple cash hand-outs. It is a message that has fallen on fertile ground at a time when unemployment is at least 12.5 percent and almost everyone is feeling the stagnation of the economy. He does not oppose the nuclear deal signed with world powers in 2015, which lifted sanctions in exchange for curbs to Iran's atomic programme. But he says the current government's negotiating efforts were "weak" and called for a much tougher line "in the face of the enemy". There is little chance Raisi will ease social restrictions or release opposition leaders held under house arrest since the 2009 protest movement, known to conservatives as "the sedition". "Those who sympathise with the heads of sedition must know that the great nation of Iran will never forgive this great injustice," he said in 2014. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Iranian presidential election: Why is it important?

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President Rouhani's next challenge? Battling hawks in Iran and US

Iran President Rouhani leading in election: Election official

Iranian presidential election: Why is it important?