Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani took the oath of office Sunday, replacing controversial President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rouhani, 65, a cleric considered moderate, won the June elections with reformist backing. He campaigned on a "hope and prudence" platform in which he appealed to traditional conservatives and reform-minded voters alike. He pledged to improve the economy and unemployment. And as a former nuclear negotiator, he vowed to reduce the high tension between Iran and the outside world by addressing sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. The White House congratulated Rouhani, and in a statement called his inauguration "an opportunity" for Iran to "resolve the international community's deep concerns over Iran's nuclear program." Should Iran decide to engage on the nuclear issue, the statement read "it will find a willing partner in the United States."
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U.S. and Israel react to the swearing-in of Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani
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He officially ends Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency
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Rouhani is a former military leader
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He will be a "far more powerful president," says one analyst
"Iran's intention is to develop a nuclear capacity and nuclear weapons in order to destroy the @placeholder," he added.