Hassan Rouhani takes over the office of the Presidency in Iran. There is a video of his comments after assuming office here.
For a wonderful overview of Rouhani’s background and how he managed to ride to ride to a decisive victory by having a united front of moderates and reformists (and ineptitude among the conservatives), see this essay.
He is a good example of an Iranian leader who recognizes the power of social media, on Facebook and Twitter.
He’s putting social media to good use: When Netanyahu false claimed that Rouhani had called for Israel’s destruction (thanks in no small parts to the error of one Iranian news agency), Rouhani calmly released the accurate video of his statement on Twitter, forcing Netanyahu to backtrack.
Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President from Rouhani's website.
You can follow some news and analysis of Rouhani taking office here using #Rouhani at Twitter. If you read Persian, follow #تحلیف.
His first statements towards the United States was an olive branch:
“The only way for interaction with Iran is dialog on an equal footing, mutual respect and reducing aggressiveness.”
There were representatives from over 50 countries present for Rouhani’s inauguration.
After 8 years of the bombastic Ahmadinejad, let us hope that Rouhani is able to move Iran towards a path of hope, reason, transparency, and accountability.
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