BICOM

In his first public comments since surprisingly being elected as Iran’s new President on Friday, Hassan Rowhani yesterday said that although it will be more transparent, Iran’s nuclear programme will continue unabated.

Having challenged some of the Iranian leadership’s policies during the campaign and receiving backing from those considered reformists, many Western leaders hope that Rowhani will be a reforming influence. Indeed, during his speech yesterday he said that US-Iran relations are “an old wound that needs to be healed.”

However, Rowhani also made clear that uranium enrichment and nuclear development would continue. Referring to the period 2003-5, when he led Iran’s nuclear negotiating team under former- President Mohammad Khatami, during which Iran accepted a moratorium on uranium enrichment, Rowhani said “This period is over.” Rowhani insisted that “Our nuclear programmes are completely transparent” and that “we are ready to show greater transparency.” However, Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Reuters yesterday that “There is a steady increase of capacity and production [in Iran’s nuclear program].” Asked whether international sanctions were having an effect on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Amano commented “I don’t see any impact.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday expressed doubts over whether Rowhani could effect change on Iran’s nuclear programme, telling Reuters “The Iranian election clearly reflects deep disaffection of the Iranian people with its regime, but unfortunately it doesn’t have the power to change Iran’s nuclear ambitions.” Israeli media commentators also pondered the impact of Rowhani’s election. Haaretz speculates that with the West expressing cautious optimism that Rowhani can bring change, Israel will be forced to delay any decision on military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities until 2014. Meanwhile, Makor Rishon quotes an unnamed minister who said “The election of Rowhani, the supposed moderate, was exactly what all those people who don’t want to do anything about the Iranian issue needed.”