As Iranian President Hassan Rouhani enters his second term in office, he faces a number of challenges both at home and from abroad.
U.S. Pressure And The Nuclear Deal
Hassan Rouhani began his second term on August 5 amid an intensification of pressure from Washington, which has accused Tehran of noncompliance with international obligations following recent missile tests and has characterized the 2015 nuclear accord as a bad deal.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has twice (in April and July) certified Iran's compliance with the deal, under which Iran limited its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. But he has reportedly asked White House staffers to begin making a case to deny certification of the deal, worked out with five other world powers under the administration of President Barack Obama, when the next review comes up in October.
Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in July, when he last certified Iranian compliance following a 90-day review period, that if it were up to him he would have declared Iran noncompliant 180 days ago.
"I think they’ll be noncompliant. I think they’re taking advantage of this country. They’ve taken advantage of a president, named Barack Obama, who didn’t know what the hell he was doing. And I do not expect that they will be compliant.”
