Using the momentum from a recent re-election and in an effort to live up to his campaign promises, President Hassan Rouhani is urging his country’s various power centers, particularly the country’s supreme leader, to push for peace and better ties with regional countries and world powers. However, with the recent attacks by the Islamic State (IS) and the attempt of some military officials to link those countries to the attack, Rouhani’s message will have more difficulty getting through.
In a June 10 speech on the occasion of the birthday of the second Shiite imam, Hasan ibn Ali, who was known for seeking a truce with his enemies, Rouhani said, “Patience and forbearance for peace is more difficult than patience and stamina in the field of war.”