Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s second term in office, which began in August, has been accompanied by much criticism from the Reformists, so much so that some have even reported rifts emerging within the Cabinet.

Rouhani entered Iran’s presidential election scene in 2013 and 2017 as a candidate for the Reform movement, which allowed him to defeat his conservative rivals. However, it seems Iran’s president is now more than ever engaged in launching a movement of his own.

Rumors of Rouhani’s plans for a new movement began after he introduced his Cabinet lineup for the 12th administration to parliament. The expectation was that, just as in the previous Cabinet, Rouhani would give First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri control of selecting the administration’s economic team. This expectation stemmed from Jahangiri’s previous experience as minister of industries and mines, from 2000 to 2005, and his prominent economics background, which the president himself lacked.

However, not only did this not happen, but Jahangiri’s close allies were removed from the Cabinet lineup. For instance, Ali Tayebnia, who had served as finance minister during Rouhani’s first presidential term and who was approved by most Iranian economists and had close ties with Jahangiri, was replaced by Masoud Karbasian, the former head of the Iranian Customs Administration.