Global Media Reflection on Hassan Rouhani's Victory

As voting began inside and outside Iran, international media covered this significant political event in Iran. Hassan Rouhani's victory in the presidential election has received widespread attention in global media. According to Fox News, as Rouhani approached victory, some female drivers in northern Tehran displayed victory signs, and one salon owner stated, "We sent Raisi to Mashhad." Al Jazeera reported on the serious competition between Hassan Rouhani as the reformist candidate and Ebrahim Raisi as the conservative candidate, referring to this election as a horse race between the two factions. This news agency noted Rouhani's previous victory was due to his slogan of striving to lift Iran from global isolation and emphasized his renewed efforts to free the leaders of the Green Movement in the May 29 election. It reported long lines of eligible voters at polling stations, stating there are 56 million eligible voters, and that the election occurs in a sensitive context of Iran-US relations, where President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for tearing up the nuclear deal, one of Rouhani's administration's achievements. Reuters pointed out that the power of the elected president is limited by the power of the unelected leadership in Iran, stating that Iranians voted for Rouhani for more freedoms and to avoid further isolation from the West. It noted that the supreme leader's unlimited power and the obstacles Rouhani faces in advancing his promises and goals have prevented him from taking action to free the Green Movement leaders from house arrest, as efforts are always halted by the leader's veto. The Guardian, in its report on the Iranian elections, referred to this presidential election as a platform for selecting a new leader for Iran, stating that Rouhani's victory is a result of his efforts to re-establish relations with the West and to open up the political space in the country. The New York Times mentioned that the US government considers Iran a source of insecurity in the Middle East, yet Rouhani announced last week that he would lift all sanctions. The Washington Post identified the most significant challenge facing Rouhani in the next four years as advancing his promises in foreign policy and the nuclear deal, especially given Trump's serious opposition to the Iran-West nuclear agreement, noting that Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia was aimed at discussing Iran as a regional rival. CNN described Rouhani's re-election as a referendum on his nuclear deal with the US and the EU, which has created a different and chaotic economic situation for Iranians. CNN also stated that Rouhani's main rival, Ebrahim Raisi, has repeatedly questioned the achievements of the nuclear deal in his speeches. It noted that many who voted for Rouhani do not see him as complete and believe he is also a cleric but is currently seeking more reforms given the hardline competitors. AFP referred to Rouhani's victory as a moderate, stating that his votes in rural areas showed that the Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and fundamental changes. It mentioned that while inflation has decreased during Rouhani's term, prices in Iran continue to rise. Le Monde attributed Rouhani's 57% of the votes to his open-door policy towards the West and relative freedom in the country. The Telegraph in London introduced Rouhani as the reformists' candidate, noting his security background since the 1979 revolution and that he was chosen by them after their defeat in the 2009 election. ABC News considered the Iranian people's vote for Rouhani as a referendum for the continuation of his political reforms. NBC News viewed his re-election as a choice by urban classes, youth, and women who are pursuing these reforms. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty provided live coverage of the Iranian elections. The Russian news agency TASS reported only the election results statistics, stating that a candidate must secure more than 50% of the votes to become president. Bloomberg analyzed Rouhani's victory alongside Trump's first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel, examining the external challenges facing Rouhani, noting that Israel would encourage the US to impose more sanctions against Iran during Trump's upcoming visit. Al Arabiya briefly reported on the Iranian elections, mentioning claims of electoral violations by Rouhani's government and Ebrahim Raisi's complaint regarding this.