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demonstration against Rouhani.
Both countries clearly are opting for pragmatism.
Rouhani was expected to oversee the signing of
contracts, including a possible deal with Airbus to
renew Iran's fleet of passenger jets. Iran's
aviation industry has suffered under sanctions in
the past three decades, and of 250 commercial
jetliners, only about 150 are flying.
Oil giant Total, engineering group Alstom and
carmakers PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Renault-
Nissan, with a past presence in Iran, are among
companies that could clinch deals, too.
The Italian government and private companies
inked more than a dozen accords with Iran
covering the metals industry, oil services, rail
transport and shipbuilding.
France showed its eagerness to take up where it
left off in Iran as soon as the July nuclear deal
was signed. Fabius visited Tehran, as did an
important delegation of France's main business
group, known as Medef, where Rouhani will
address business leaders Thursday.