A very different flavour
The new president is testing the water at home and abroad
SINCE his inauguration as president a month ago, Hassan Rohani (above) has taken his first steps towards reforming Iran’s ailing economy. During eight years under his populist predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, oil prices doubled yet much of the windfall was squandered on cheap imports and easy credit. Producers at home were clobbered, inflation soared along with unemployment, and ordinary Iranians got a lot poorer. Mr Rohani is plainly bent on reversing the slide.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A very different flavour”
From the September 7th 2013 edition
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