Live Coverage of Hassan Rouhani's Press Conference

The first press conference of Hassan Rouhani after winning the twelfth presidential election in Iran was held on the afternoon of May 22, 2017. Follow the most important points related to this press conference here. Rouhani responded to a question from the Al-Wefaq journalist regarding the government's plan to expand relations with regional countries, stating, "Our desire is to develop relations. We also want stability in Bahrain. We prefer our relations to be like those with Kuwait and Oman. We are ready to have closer relations with regional and Arab countries." In response to a question about the government's plans in light of remaining banking sanctions, Rouhani said, "If any country violates the JCPOA, we will definitely respond. Fortunately, the Americans have recently extended the suspension of sanctions. The nuclear sanctions have been lifted, but we still have other problems. Not all banking issues are related to nuclear sanctions." Regarding Syria, Rouhani emphasized that the solution to the political crisis is political, expressing hope for creating an environment for the Syrian people to shape their own destiny. He also highlighted efforts made during his administration to create opportunities for women, noting that while women lost 860,000 jobs in the previous administration, they gained 750,000 jobs in his. He mentioned the appointment of a female ambassador and the use of women in managerial positions, stating, "This notion that men are superior to women and can do the job better is incorrect." On cultural issues, Rouhani affirmed that music, culture, and all artistic sectors belong to the people, promising increased support for cultural figures in his second term, and indicating that the cultural space would remain open.