As Hassan Rouhani commences his second term as president, the West must realize that he is not and has never been as agent of change in Iran. In the run-up to his election, Rouhani routinely invoked “violence and extremism” in his campaign rhetoric to bolster opposition to his leading opponent, Ebrahim Raisi, in the ongoing roleplay where the incumbent represents a more moderate approach than his acknowledged hardline alternative. This despite the fact that Rouhani had already demonstrated during his first term that he had no intention of challenging the violence and extremism of the clerical regime.

Tom Ridge

Mr. Ridge was the nation’s first homeland security secretary and former Pennsylvania governor.

As Hassan Rouhani commences his second term as president, the West must realize that he is not and has never been as agent of change in Iran.