New Iran president looks for quick gains despite sanctions

Hassan Rohani is gearing up to choose a new government, with the focus on bringing in capable hands that are comfortable dealing with IOCs

Like his counterpart in the Oval Office, Iran's new president Hassan Rohani will quickly find that the biggest challenge on taking the hot seat is managing expectations. The sizable victory secured in the 14 June ballot, surprising many by winning on the first count - buttressed by some sharp maneuvering by former presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami, both of whom threw their collective weight behind the centrist cleric as the most viable counterweight to conservative candidates - has given Rohani a robust mandate for change. The question is how he will use it. Absent a speedy dismantling of the stifling international sanctions regime, which has progressively eroded Iran's capacity to first sec