Source: C-SPAN
Speaking to C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour discussed the recent election of new Iranian president, Hassan Rowhani, and the impact his election will have on regional dynamics. Sadjadpour explained that Iranian presidents have long sought to claim more independence but that Rowhani is just as part of the establishment as any other politician. Sadjadpour argued that Rowhani's win is evidence of Iranians voting against the status quo after a decade of debilitating economic sanctions and an increasingly hostile foreign policy under the leadership of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Although Rowhani is limited in what he can do, the Obama administration is hoping build confidence with Iran to work on a number of critical issues like the ongoing Syrian crisis, Sadjadpour concluded.