Hassan Rohani and Javad Zarif's Work Plan

Abstract

ABSTRACT The election of Hassan Rohani, the phone call between the president of the United States and the president of Iran, and the interim nuclear agreement in Geneva have nourished the hope that Iran intends to resolve the impasse over its nuclear program and improve relations between the two nations. Under immense pressure, the supreme leader is being forced to compromise, although temporarily, with his critics; he has called for “heroic flexibility” in foreign policy. How far this “flexibility” can or might go depends on various factors, including Rohani's and his foreign minister Javad Zarif's view of Iran's position in the world and the solutions they propose to overcome the challenges. They believe that the United States and Iran could mutually benefit from regional cooperation if the United States accepts Iran's nuclear capability and its regional influence. They vow to intensify the “Iran lobby” in the United States and to exploit divisions in Washington over Iran. They count on the U.S. trade lobby and political circles that support a U.S.–Iran strategic partnership.