This weekend marked the reelection of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani with 57 percent of the vote, giving him another four years as the country’s leader. Breaking traditional Islamic rules, many Iranians celebrated Rouhani’s victory by dancing in the streets.
Thousand of other celebrators congregated at Vali-e Asr Square in Tehran, Iran’s capital, to demand Rouhani to fulfill his campaign promises. These supporters, predominantly middle-class Iranians, shouted political slogans and demanded the president to release opposition figures.
They specifically called for the release of former Prime Minister Mir Mossein Mousavi; his wife, Zahra Rahnavard; and Mehdi Karooubi, a former speaker of Parliament.
Since 2011, these three figures have been under house arrest, without trial. They were arrested for their involvement with protests that disputed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in Iran’s 2009 election.
Rouhani’s supporters also have called for more freedom of thought and fewer restrictions on daily life.
Iranians who voted for Rouhani also expect him to increase his involvement with the West. This could bring greater foreign investment into Iran’s poor economy.
Rouhani’s opposition, cleric Ebrahim Raisi, was not in favor of Iran’s nuclear deal with the United States, which Rouhani helped to create in 2015. During his campaign, Raisi supported an anti-Western ideology, as well as a strict interpretation of Islam.
Raisi’s defeat brought great relief to many Iranians. Celebrators, including middle-class families, young hipsters and unemployed men, chanted “Bye bye, Raisi,” as they danced in the streets and pumped their fists in the air. They also drove around in their cars, playing loud, celebratory music.
Though police officers were present, they did not enforce the ban on celebratory gatherings. Instead, they stood by and watched the celebration, many of them smiling.
This election is believed to show that Iran’s society has changed greatly over the past few decades. Because of increased access to satellite television, cheaper international travel, big cities, the Internet, and higher education, most Iranians now subscribe to middle-class values.
Many supporting Rouhani’s moderate policies, more than 40 million Iranian voters flocked to polls on Friday, according to the head of Iran’s Interior Ministry State Elections Committee.
“A new record was set” for the presidential election, said the head of the committee. This “showed the increasing progress of the Iranian nation.”
However, it is questionable what Rouhani will do with his second term. During his first term, he focused greatly on improving on the Iranian economy. Now, supporters want him to focus on social reforms.
According to Shi’ite Muslim cleric Fazel Meybodi from the city of Qom, Rouhani “faces a difficult task.” Though Meybodi supports social reforms, he believes that Rouhani may have too many demands to handle.
Rouhani himself has also mentioned the greatness of these demands. “This hope with which you’ve entrusted me, I do feel the weight of this responsibility,” said Rouhani in a televised address on Saturday. “And I do pray to God to be a worthy carrier of your hopes and dreams.”
Rouhani now “must provide more freedoms, break the hardline monopoly on the state-run radio and television, and increase freedom of press,” said Meybodi.
In order to accomplish all of these tasks, Rouhani not only has to persuade Iran’s conservative judiciary but also its strict security forces. According to Meybodi, a change of perspective is greatly needed for the country’s government.
Nonetheless, Rouhani has reaffirmed his support of the Iranian people. “I humbly bow my head down to you,” he tweeted in Farsi shortly after his reelection. “I will remain loyal in my promise to you.”
Relating to his supporters’ call for foreign policy improvements, Rouhani stated in his televised address that he ultimately strives for Iran “to live in peace and friendship with the rest of the world.”
What this could mean for America remains unclear.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, America would like for Rouhani to end Iran’s destabilization campaign in the Middle East and restore the right of free speech and assembly in Iran.
The U.S. also hopes Rouhani will stop Iran’s ballistic missile tests, said Tillerson. In February, President Donald Trump’s administration implemented a new set of sanctions against Iran after it test-launched a ballistic missile. This test went against a UN resolution that prohibits Iran from developing a ballistic missile program capable of using nuclear weapons.
Nonetheless, Rouhani declared in his televised address that, though he “respects the wishes and will of the people,” in the face of its rivals Iran “is not ready or willing to be threatened or sanctioned.”
