Iran Hardliner Raisi Inaugurated as President... "Supports Any Diplomacy for Sanctions Relief"

US State Department Urges "Prompt Resumption of Nuclear Deal Restoration Talks"
"Likely to Prioritize Normalizing Relations with Saudi Arabia over Nuclear Deal Restoration Talks"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric in Iran, has been inaugurated as the 13th president of Iran. In his inaugural speech, President Raisi emphasized improving the livelihood of the people and stressed that he would actively engage in diplomacy, including negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Observers inside and outside Iran predict that while hardline President Raisi will be passive in negotiations with the United States and the West, he will leverage the normalization of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab League countries as a means to engage in dialogue with the West.

On the 5th (local time), at the inauguration ceremony held at the parliament building, President Raisi stated, "The new administration will devote all efforts to developing Iran's economy and resolving livelihood issues," adding, "Sanctions must be lifted, and we support any diplomatic plan to achieve this." The inauguration was attended by delegations from 73 countries across Asia and Europe, including Iranian leadership.

President Raisi’s emphasis on restoring livelihoods and diplomatic efforts to lift sanctions as his inaugural message is interpreted as a response to the severe economic difficulties currently facing Iran. According to the Associated Press, Iran is experiencing overlapping crises due to prolonged sanctions by the United States and the West, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in water shortages and power outages. The worsening hardships have sparked ongoing protests, further destabilizing the political situation.

Consequently, there is growing expectation that the Raisi administration will soon resume negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal. The U.S. State Department also urged the resumption of JCPOA talks in a statement issued immediately after Raisi’s inauguration. Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said, "If President Raisi is sincere about lifting sanctions, we urge Iran to promptly return to nuclear deal negotiations."

However, as a hardline cleric subject to U.S. sanctions, it is widely expected that President Raisi will not be proactive in negotiations with the United States and Western countries. Prior to the inauguration, Raisi commemorated Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in January last year, and during his speech, he stated, "We will not be bound by foreign powers in everything, nor will we make the livelihood of our people a condition for negotiations." This suggests that even if negotiations occur due to economic difficulties, they could be broken off at any time.

Within Iran, analysts believe that even if President Raisi engages in diplomatic negotiations due to economic hardship, indirect methods such as normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia will be preferred over direct talks with the United States and the West. Iranian political analyst Dr. Mostafa Koshaim explained in an interview with CNN, "President Raisi mentioned improving relations with Saudi Arabia first in an interview immediately after his election victory," adding, "He will prioritize diplomacy and trade strengthening with Saudi Arabia over nuclear deal negotiations with the United States and the West."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.