Iran Swears In Seventh President Hassan Rouhani

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On Sunday, Iran celebrated the inauguration ceremony for their seventh president, Hassan Rouhani. The 64 year-old leader spoke of hope and the desire for change within Iran.

In his speech, Rouhani said, “people have voted for moderation” and that his “government of hope and prudence” would work to fight poverty, corruption and discrimination. “People want change,” he continued. Rouhani described himself as the representative of all Iranian people and not only those who voted for him in the election, The Guardian reported. The US and other Western countries hope Rouhani will seek compromise at the next round of nuclear negotiations this fall. The new president ended his speech by saying, “It’s not the language of sanction that’s going to work, it’s the language of respect.”