The swearing-in ceremony for the reelected President Hassan Rouhani, which is due this Saturday, is to be a more high-profile event than his first, as the level of foreign dignitaries taking part is said to be "unprecedented".

Rouhani will be sworn in for another four years as the chief executive in the parliament in downtown Tehran.

He will receive his endorsement decree from the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a separate ceremony on Thursday.

The president's Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Information Parviz Esmaeili said on Tuesday high-powered delegations from at least 92 countries and organizations are confirmed to attend.

"Present in the event will be 25 delegations from Asia Pacific, 26 from Arab countries and 30 from Europe and Americas," he told IRNA, in addition to 11 delegations from major international entities.

"The number and level of delegations attending such an event is unprecedented," he said.

Among the guests, he said, are eight presidents and 19 parliament speakers, besides dozens of senior government officials and diplomats.

Esmaeili did not elaborate on the states to be represented, but media reports have so far confirmed that Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, North Korea, Moldavia and Belarus will attend the ceremony.

Officials from four of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely Russia, China, the UK and France, plus Germany, are also to attend.

The five, along with the US, negotiated the July 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that went into effect in January 2016 to settle its lingering dispute with western powers over its nuclear activities.

EU's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, who headed the other side of the Iran deal during two years of talks, is also expected to arrive.

Message to Trump

Lawmaker Alireza Rahimi said on Monday the high-level participation in Rouhani's inauguration conveys an "important message" to the world, at a time when Washington seems to be bent on tightening the screws on Tehran.

In a post on his Telegram channel, Rahimi said the planned presence of Mogherini at the event showed the bloc's resolve to strengthen its ties with Iran and to protect the 2015 deal from the controversial US President Donald Trump who is determined to walk out of the pact to appease his allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Hardening the US tone on Iran, Trump has repeatedly hammered the deal and is currently seeking ways to pull out of it.

However, so far, his calls for dismantling the deal or renegotiating the accord have fallen on deaf ears of other signatories to the deal, which are determined to uphold the pact.

Rouhani won the presidential vote in May on a platform of broadening Iran's international engagement and reforming the economy, making pledges to improve the livelihood of ordinary Iranians and curb unemployment by attracting foreign investment and technology.

Over 23 million people, from a total of 41 million voters, cast ballots for him to win an emphatic 57% of votes to defeat his main rival, principlist Ebrahim Raeisi.

Tight Security

The Interior Ministry has made strict security arrangements for the event, a top official said, adding that the level of security at the parliament compounds has been raised for the inauguration day.

Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Hossein Zolfaqari told Tasnim News Agency on Monday the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is in charge of security of the ceremony, and the Intelligence Ministry, police and air defense force have also been assigned tasks to support it.

The inauguration day has been declared a holiday in the capital.

"All state and public institutions and organizations, except those extending emergency services, will be closed on Saturday to facilitate the movement of dignitaries and ensure the convenience of Tehrani citizens," Cabinet Secretary Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei told IRNA on Monday.

Security in Iran's biggest city is heightened since the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group attacked the parliament and Imam Khomeini Mausoleum early June, the first major terrorist operation in decades, which prompted Iran's first missile strike outside its borders after the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) against IS positions in eastern Syria.

Rouhani is preparing to propose his nominees for 18 ministerial posts to the parliament for a vote of confidence on the inauguration day.

The president has vowed to pick a "young" and "inclusive" Cabinet, reportedly saying that more than 50% of the incumbent ministers will be replaced. He is also expected to induct women ministers.

After Rouhani announces his list of ministers, the lawmakers have a week to examine their credentials.

Afterwards, the aspirants will appear before the parliament to outline their plans of action for securing confirmation votes.</s>Hassan Rouhani has been sworn in for a second term in office in a Tehran ceremony over the weekend that highlighted European support for the nuclear deal with the west despite Donald Trump’s threats to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement.

Rouhani, who was re-elected in a landslide victory in May, took an oath before parliamentarians and foreign dignitaries, including the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and senior diplomats from the UK, France and Germany.

The president said in his speech, which was aired live on the national television, that “Iran would not be the first to pull out of the nuclear deal, but it will not remain silent about the US repeated violations of the accord”. 



Despite his belligerent rhetoric, Trump has twice reluctantly certified Iran’s compliance with the deal, allowing the nuclear-related sanctions to remain suspended, but it has emerged that he has instructed aides to find a way to declare Tehran in violation of the agreement.

“Today is the time for the mother of all negotiations, not the mother of all bombs,” Rouhani said, referring to the US dropping its largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat in Afghanistan in April. The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, was among those present at Rouhani’s inauguration.

“The US has showed a lack of commitment in its implementation of the nuclear deal because its policymakers are addicted to the illegal and futile policy of sanctions and humiliation,” Rouhani said. “This has proved the US to be an unreliable partner to the world and even to its longtime allies.”

Referring to Trump, he added: “We do not wish to engage with political novices ... Those who want to tear up the nuclear deal should know that they will be ripping up their own political life by doing so and the world won’t forget their noncompliance.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said in its latest report that Iran was complying with the terms of the agreement, but Tehran has complained the US is reneging on its obligations. Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, said last week that Tehran had formally complained to the joint commission supervising implementation of the accord over the US senate’s new sanctions against Iranian entities, imposed over Tehran’s testing of missiles.

Mogherini “reiterated the EU’s unwavering commitment to the deal, recalling its historic significance, multilateral dimension and its importance for regional and global stability”, an official statement said.



Local media quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, as telling Mogherini: “Mr Trump is trying to destroy the nuclear accord at Iran’s expense, and Europe should be conscious of this.”

Sadegh Zibakalam, a Tehran University professor, said the inauguration sent a powerful message to Trump. “The fact that Ms Mogherini as the representative of the EU foreign policy was here showed that the EU values the nuclear deal greatly,” he said.

“Internationally, Iran has had a win and a loss,” he said. “Our loss is that Obama is gone and the Democrats have been replaced by the Republicans. The win is that Iran has been successful in strengthening its relations with Europe. The main reason Trump has not been able to dismantle the agreement is that the EU is resisting and the US knows very well that the EU is serious in keeping the nuclear deal.”

In a sign of thawing relations with Europe, Mogherini was popular in Iran. A group of Iranian parliamentarians came under attack domestically after an image circulated online showing them jostling to take a selfie with her. One MP, Farajollah Najafi, apologised after largely negative reactions online.

Many Iranian social media users said the MPs’ behaviour was embarrassing and demeaning and in sharp contrast to women’s rights in Iran. Rouhani has been under pressure in recent weeks to nominate female ministers as he considers a cabinet reshuffle. In 2013, he unveiled his cabinet on the day he was inaugurated, but he has yet to name his new ministers.

Rouhani’s inauguration dominated front pages in Tehran. “Inauguration with an anti-Trump flavour” read the headline of Iranian daily Khorasan. “Rouhani, the 12th tenant of Pastor” read Kelid’s front page, referring to Rouhani as being the 12th president after the 1979 revolution to occupy the presidential palace in Pastor Street, Tehran.

The ultra-conservative newspaper Keyhan was critical of Rouhani’s speech, saying in a headline: “Unveiling the mother of negotiations instead of confronting the mother of sanctions.”

Rouhani’s inauguration came two days after his re-election was formally endorsed by the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who urged the president on Thursday to conduct “extensive interaction with the world”.

Nasser Hadian, a political expert based in Tehran, said the ceremony showed that the world was recognising Iran. “The world understands that, in spite of differences, there is a mechanism inside Iran through the ballot box that helps resolve big issues.”

Hadian said that despite his global advances, Rouhani faces pressure from hardliners domestically. “His opponents want to limit his power in the political sphere, especially in regards to the civil society and social freedoms. They have all the means and the facilities to prevent him from doing so.”

The reformists want him to deliver on social freedoms, especially human rights, Hadian said, but the conservatives want him to remain loyal to revolutionary values. “His biggest challenge and priority in the second term will be the economy.

“The nuclear deal won’t collapse because of Iran. There is a consensus inside the country that the nuclear deal should survive, so Iran won’t violate first, but if the US wants to make excuses and, for example, demand inspection of military sites without any valid evidence then the world knows what the US is up to. The world is not stupid.”</s>Iranian parliament has inaugurated Hassan Rouhani as president for a second term, who has pledged to fix the country’s economy.

The 68-year-old cleric kissed the Koran and took the oath of office before parliament, senior politicians and foreign dignitaries in Tehran on Saturday, promising to serve his people, protect individual rights and defend the country.

"In the presence of the holy Koran and before the nation, I swear to the omnipotent God to safeguard the official religion of the country and the Islamic Republic as well as the country's constitution," he told parliament and foreign dignitaries in the presidential inauguration ceremony on Aug 5.

Rouhani is expected later in the day to name a cabinet he said would be chosen from figures across the political spectrum.

During his election campaign for a second term in office, Hassan Rouhani pledged to deliver on his campaign promises of creating a freer society and improving the economic situation in the country.

President Hassan Rouhani, who championed a nuclear deal with the world powers during his first term, has faced accusations of a failed accord, which has not benefited the ordinary Iranians.

Although the nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), lifted nuclear related sanctions against Iran, the benefits of the deal have been slow-to-come for many Iranians, as ordinary people argue that they have not felt it in their day-to-day lives.

In the meantime, the US imposed sanctions on Iran have shed shadows over the outcome of the nuclear deal, with President Rouhani vowing to respond to the "US breach of the terms of that deal."</s>Iranian President Hassan Rohani will take the oath of office for his second term at a lavish ceremony in Tehran.

Rohani will take the oath in the Iranian parliament building on August 5, the final phase of his installment after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed him on August 3.

Rohani will read out the oath and sign it, before addressing the assembled lawmakers and dignitaries.

Guests from more than 100 countries are expected, a significant achievement for Iran, which has been largely isolated since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Under Iranian law, Rohani will have two weeks to submit his cabinet to parliament for approval.

Rohani was first elected in 2013. He won reelection on May 19 with 57 percent of the vote over conservative candidate Ebrahim Raisi.

Based on reporting by TASS and dpa</s>LONDON: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani , who is being sworn-in for a further term on Saturday, has accused the United States of trying to undermine Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, and urged European countries not to side with Washington.Rouhani, who was decisively re-elected in May after promising to open Iran to the world and create more jobs, will take the oath of office before parliament in Tehran in the presence of dignitaries including senior European figures."The US's repeated violations of its commitments and the new sanctions it imposed on Iran have left a negative impact on Iran's public opinion, and can hamper implementation of the nuclear deal," Rouhani was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency in advance of the ceremony.The deal he championed with the United States and five other major powers in 2015 led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.Rouhani has intensified efforts to protect the deal - the biggest achievement of his first term - against Washington's return to an aggressive Iran policy since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.The U.S. Senate voted in late July to impose new sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea . The sanctions target Iran's missiles programme, as well as human rights issues.Iran has said the new U.S. sanctions break the terms of the nuclear deal and has vowed a "proportional" reaction.In a meeting with European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Tehran, Rouhani said the presence of senior European dignitaries at his swearing-in ceremony showed that Europe was determined to expand ties with Tehran despite U.S. pressures.Tasnim also quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying in his meeting with Mogherini: "Mr Trump is trying to destroy the nuclear accord at Iran's expense, and Europe should be conscious of this."Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also asked Europe to "take a more independent policy towards Iran" state media reported.Other top foreign officials present at Rouhani's swearing-in ceremony will include French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, State Secretary at the German Foreign Ministry Michael Roth, and British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt.Security in the capital has been increased to the highest level, the police said, two months after gunmen linked to the Islamic State group attacked the parliament and the mausoleum of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 people.Rouhani's deputy said on Wednesday that Rouhani would keep on two important ministers for his second term: Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, who is largely credited with closing a deal with the French oil major Total, and Foreign Minister Zarif, Iran's lead negotiator in the nuclear agreement.The powers of the elected president are limited by those of the unelected Supreme Leader who outranks him, but the scale of Rouhani's victory can give the pragmatist president a strong mandate.However, analysts say Rouhani may struggle to make a significant impact given sharpening divisions in the dual clerical-republican power structure in Iran, and Trump's aggressive policy against Tehran.While he spoke much about women's rights during his campaign, Rouhani is not expected to select any women for his cabinet.He also has a debt to pay to reformists who put their weight behind his election campaign.</s>In most democracies, a resounding win at the ballot box would put a president in a strong position to deliver promised changes. But Iran is only partly a democracy.

President Hassan Rouhani, who was officially sworn in for a a second term Saturday, must contend with mounting opposition from religious hard-liners who keep losing elections but control key centers of power in the Islamic Republic.

The question is whether Rouhani can use his mandate to push through policies sought by his many young supporters to open up Iran politically and economically — or whether he will need to appease conservative clerics and security commanders who are the custodians of Iran’s theocracy.

History suggests that Rouhani has cause to be wary. His three immediate predecessors were reduced to the status of lame ducks in their second terms after clashing with the conservative establishment, led by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“There are clearly almost Soprano family-style moves to make him recognize how vulnerable he is,” said Abbas Milani, a Tehran-born academic who directs the Iranian studies program at Stanford University, referring to the mob-themed U.S. television series.

Last month, Rouhani’s brother, Hossein Fereydoun, was detained on charges of financial impropriety in what some experts describe as a shot across the bow by the conservative judiciary. Fereydoun was reportedly taken to a hospital the next day after appearing unwell at a court appearance and released on bail.

At his inauguration before parliament Saturday, Rouhani underscored the need for “national cooperation” and “constructive” relations with the world, familiar themes from his first term. Gone was the fiery rhetoric about freedom and civil rights that galvanized more reform-minded voters to his side during a bruising election campaign.

“We want to be a moderate government,” Rouhani said before lawmakers, government insiders and foreign dignitaries, “both in domestic and foreign policy.”

Some of those who helped Rouhani increase his mandate by 5 million votes are now worried that the president won’t fulfill campaign pledges to include women and more reform-minded politicians in his 18-member Cabinet.

Tradition dictates that the president should consult the supreme leader about key appointments, such as the ministers of foreign affairs and intelligence. But Rouhani is said to also be running names for less sensitive posts by Khamenei.

“One woman minister isn’t a big deal. Why doesn’t he try it?” complained Siavash Ramesh, a 30-year-old political activist who until last week was an enthusiastic supporter of the president. “We wanted more when we voted for him. We’re unhappy, but what option did we have?"

The president’s defenders say Rouhani has been consulting with the supreme leader about his Cabinet picks more than is customary so hard-liners won’t mount a challenge when he presents the list to parliament for a confidence vote.

He already faces accusations of selling off the country to “colonizing” interests after the announcement of a multibillion-dollar deal with French oil giant Total and the China National Petroleum Corp. to develop part of a massive natural gas field.

And new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are providing grist for the mill of opposition to the nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers, Rouhani’s signature achievement.

Although many of the most crippling economic penalties imposed on Iran have been lifted since the Islamic Republic agreed to curb its nuclear activities in 2015, the country has not experienced as robust a recovery as officials had hoped.

Foreign banks and businesses are worried about the Trump administration’s more aggressive approach to Iran and don’t want to run afoul of sanctions imposed by the U.S. for other alleged transgressions. These include Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups and human rights abuses.

Iranian officials accuse Trump of acting in bad faith and have threatened to take “proportional” retaliatory measures.

"Iran will not be the first to pull out of the nuclear deal, but it will not remain silent about America’s repeated violations," Rouhani said.

The supreme leader, who gave his official endorsement Thursday for Rouhani’s second term, said he supports “extensive interaction” with the world. But he advised Rouhani to be mindful of the plots of Iran’s enemies and reiterated the need for a “resistance economy,” or one that is not vulnerable to sanctions.

“The cost of surrendering to aggressive powers is far greater than the cost of standing up to them,” Khamenei was quoted as saying Thursday by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The supreme leader has been increasingly critical of Rouhani for policies that Khamenei says fail to protect the “dignity of the Islamic system.”

Such remarks have emboldened hard-liners who surrounded Rouhani at a rally in June and shouted slogans likening the president to one of his predecessors who was forced into exile after falling out of favor with the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Embarrassing video of Rouhani being whisked away by his bodyguards was broadcast widely in Iran, including by state-run news outlets. Some saw this as payback for the election campaign, in which Rouhani lashed out at conservative rivals for repressing dissent, accused the judiciary of breaking the law and demanded that the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard stay out of politics.

In office, however, the president has a reputation as a moderate pragmatist and consensus builder.

“Rouhani hasn’t gone rogue,” said Reza Marashi, research director for the National Iranian American Council, which advocates for better U.S.-Iran relations. “He hasn’t approved a single thing without getting Khamenei’s approval.”

Analysts expect Rouhani to focus on reviving Iran’s economy in his second term. “It’s an issue where he has a greater chance of avoiding real gridlock within the system itself,” said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. “It’s not nearly as dangerous as taking on issues of political prisoners or trying to open up the political space to those who feel marginalized.”</s>Hassan Rouhani calls for upholding of 2015 nuclear deal in the face of new sanctions imposed by US on his country.

Hassan Rouhani has been inaugurated for a second term as Iranian president, calling for more negotiations with world powers amid new sanctions imposed by the US.

In recent weeks, the US has imposed new sanctions on Iran nationals and entities, accusing it of breaching the nuclear deal, allegations that Iran denies.

"Today is the time for the mother of all negotiations, not the mother of all bombs," Rouhani said on Saturday as he addressed parliament members and foreign guests in Tehran.

Among the guests for Rouhani's inauguration on Saturday were Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, who has pledged to continue building ties with Iran despite mounting pressure from the US to keep the country isolated.

Meeting Mogherini before the ceremony in parliament, Rouhani called for greater efforts to uphold the 2015 nuclear deal struck by Iran and world powers.

"Repeated breaches of commitments by the US administration ... can be destructive," he said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

"All sides have a heavy responsibility to safeguard this agreement which was achieved by a lot of effort."

Some of Iran's older friends, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, also arrived for the ceremony, which came two days after Rouhani, was officially sworn in by the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was absent despite attending Rouhani's last inauguration in 2013.

Among Iranians, the real attention was on who would be named to Rouhani's new cabinet.

He has already been facing criticism over indications that women would again be entirely absent and that his reformist allies would barely be represented.

Rouhani's last government had three women among a large cohort of vice-presidents, but they lacked ministerial roles that would require approval by parliament.

"It was the reformists that allowed him to win the elections in 2013 and 2017... he must listen to those who supported him," Rassoul Montajabnia, of the reformist National Confidence party, told the Arman newspaper.

Rouhani won a convincing victory over Ebrahim Raisi in the May presidential election, promising to continue rebuilding ties with the West and easing social restrictions at home.

That helped win over the reformists - whose candidates dropped out of the last two elections to ensure his victory.

"Rouhani created a lot of expectation and now there is a sense that he is retreating from his promises," said Ali Shakourirad, head of the reformist People's Unity Party.

The absence of women was down to pressure from religious conservatives behind the scenes, Shakourirad said.

"Rouhani didn't want to make his task any more complicated than it already is," he told AFP news agency.

The final line-up is due to be announced in coming days, and must then be approved by parliament.

Despite the furore, the reshuffle is not expected to touch big names such as Mohammad Javad Zarif, foreign minister, and Bijan Namadar Zanganeh, the oil minister.

"The main ministers are very likely to stay in place," said Henry Smith, Iran analyst with consultancy Control Risks, told AFP.

Arron Reza Merat, a London-based Iran analyst, said that while Rouhani's victory maybe a reflection of the increasing influence of reformists, second-term presidents in Iran "do turn into lame ducks", and that the supreme leader and the security establishment have "larger sway" in the country.</s>Tehran: Emphasising that terrorism is a common problem for both Tehran and Kabul, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for cooperation between the two sides against it.

During a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, he said that Iran has made every effort in bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan and has always stood by Afghan people in different segments of history.

He described Chabahar Port as a suitable link to promote economic, trade and mineral cooperation between the two sides.

The Afghan President congratulated Rouhani on being re-elected as Iran's next President.

He also hailed Iran's efforts in bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Ghani said Afghanistan is in favour of maintaining cooperation with the neighboring countries like Iran to safeguard its borders.

Earlier, Ghani arrived in Tehran to attend swearing in ceremony of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.

About 70 delegations from foreign countries and international organisations have so far arrived inTehran to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Hassan Rouhani as President of Iran .

The inauguration ceremony will be held in the parliament where Rouhani is expected to propose his 18-member cabinet on the same day for a vote of confidence.</s>Iran's re-elected president Hassan Rouhani has been sworn in for his second term in an open parliament session.

Rouhani, 68, a moderate cleric who secured re-election on May 19, promised that his country will pursue a "path of coexistence and interaction with the world."

Rouhani was first elected in 2013 with nearly 51 percent of the vote.

Iran's state TV reported that more than 130 high-ranking officials from various countries and international organizations attended the ceremony in Tehran. Among them was EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who coordinates follow-up of Iran's nuclear deal.

It was the first time in Iran's history that a large number of foreign officials attended the president's inauguration ceremony.</s>Iran’s Rouhani, embarking on second term, accuses Trump over nuclear deal

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani waves to supporters at a polling station during the presidential election in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2017. — Reuters picLONDON, Aug 5 — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was sworn-in for a second term today, has accused the United States of trying to undermine Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, telling President Donald Trump that it will be his political suicide.

Rouhani, who was decisively re-elected in May after promising to open Iran to the world, took the oath of office before parliament in Tehran in the presence of foreign dignitaries including senior European figures.

“The US lack of commitment to implementation of the nuclear deal ... proved it to be an unreliable partner to the world and even to its longtime allies,” Rouhani said in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

The deal he championed with the United States and five other major powers in 2015 led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Rouhani has intensified efforts to protect the deal — the biggest achievement of his first term — against Washington’s return to an aggressive Iran policy.

In comments aimed at Trump, Rouhani said: “Those who want to tear up the nuclear deal should know that they will be ripping up their own political life.”

The US Senate voted in late July to impose new sanctions on Iran over its missiles programme and human rights issues.

“Iran would not be the first to pull out of the nuclear deal, but it will not remain silent about the US repeated violations of the accord,” Rouhani said.

In a meeting with European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Tehran in advance of the ceremony, Rouhani said the US stance could hamper implementation of the nuclear deal.

Praising the presence of senior European dignitaries at the ceremony, Rouhani said it showed Europe was determined to expand ties with Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was also quoted as saying by state media in his meeting with Mogherini: “Mr Trump is trying to destroy the nuclear accord at Iran’s expense, and Europe should be conscious of this.”

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, President of Iraq Fuad Masum, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe were also present at swearing-in ceremony.

Among the Western officials present were French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, State Secretary at the German Foreign Ministry Michael Roth, and British Minister of State Alistair Burt.

Security in Tehran was increased to the highest level, the police said, two months after gunmen linked to the Islamic State group attacked parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 people.

Rouhani’s deputy said on Wednesday that Rouhani would keep on two important ministers for his second term: Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and Foreign Minister Zarif.

The powers of the elected president are limited by those of the unelected Supreme Leader who outranks him, but the scale of Rouhani’s victory can give the pragmatist president a strong mandate.

However, analysts say Rouhani may struggle to make a significant impact given sharpening divisions in the dual clerical-republican power structure in Iran, and Trump’s aggressive policy against Tehran. — Reuters
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani takes the oath of office to start his second four-year term.