Caspian Report - Issue 06 - Winter 2014

President of Iran
Hassan Rouhani.
ALEX VATANKA
10
THE RE-INTEGRATION OF THE IRANIAN ECONOMY
CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT OTHER AND VERY LIKELY
BIGGER DOMESTIC POLITICAL ADJUSTMENTS TO SOME
OF MOST HARDENED AND CONTENTIOUS DOGMA THAT
REMAINS IN PLACE.
or Saudi Arabia will first expect to
see a change in Tehran’s belligerence
toward them before they can be convinced
that Rouhani’s words represent
a tectonic shift. But even among
some of Iran’s smaller immediate
neighbours, there is plenty of scepticism
about the likely discrepancy between
Rouhani’s promises and Iran’s
action. In the meantime, a successful
and sustainable overhaul of Iran’s foreign
policy has first of all to be convincing
for neighbouring countries in
the Persian Gulf or in the Caucasus.
ROUHANI AND POLICY
CONTINUITY
Nonetheless, President Rouhani has
to be commended for his vision and
courage to stand up or at least attempt
to reshape the orthodoxy that
has prevailed in Tehran in recent
years. But he has to be reminded that
fixing Iran’s economic ills and standing
in the world will not be as simple
as just inviting foreign investors to
Iran. It requires confidence building
across the spectrum, at home vis-àvis
domestic opponents, and abroad
among those that have for long resented
Tehran’s regional policies.
Furthermore, to understand Rouhani’s
prospects to bring about
change, it is useful to recall the performance
of his immediate predecessors.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013)
used his presidency as a platform to
promote his persona as a man of the
masses. He too sought to challenge
the orthodoxy in Tehran and wanted
to shape the debate and Iran’s path,
but he made all the wrong decisions.
His worldview was not that of an internationalist
but a radical populist
who ultimately had no final destination
in mind. Instead, his presidency
will be remembered for his bombas-