Call With Obama Caps Rouhani's UN Charm Offensive
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s new president, says his first visit to the United States exceeded his expectations, but he leaves many who met him puzzled about what he is really prepared to do.
NEW YORK – It was a week capped by an unprecedented phone call between the US and Iranian presidents, yet in the end, Iran’s Hassan Rouhani gave little indication of exactly what he would do to ease the long and bitter dispute between the two countries.
The Iranian President did make a far more positive impression than his predecessor and showed how he has managed to survive and even thrive in more than three decades at the helm of politics in the Islamic Republic.
In a series of speeches and gatherings over the course of this week, the 64-year-old cleric — who said before he left Tehran that he was coming to New York to present the “true face” of Iran — made a careful and considered debut, seeking to expunge the unpleasant memory of his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Rouhani tailored his messages to varying audiences without clarifying exactly how Iran would demonstrate what he repeatedly described as its desire for “constructive engagement” with the world.
