A conservative Iranian analyst has said that the upper echelon of the political system had made the decision before the 2013 elections to address Iran's disagreements with the international community and needed someone with Hassan Rouhani’s background to implement the necessary policies.
“I think the system had the intention to make a calculated move in the field of international engagement,” Amir Mohebbian, a political analyst and editor of Arya News, told Mosallas magazine. “Neither [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad could play this role, nor was it expedient for this to fall in the hands of the Reformists, who do not have the strength for a project this important. Naturally, Rouhani, with his experience and his particular security perspective, had the necessary skill for this matter.”
