Iran springs a promising surprise

The victory of moderate leader Hassan Rouhani in the June 15 presidential election in Iran - in which he routed hard-line conservatives by garnering more than 50 percent of the votes - reflects Iranian people's strong desire for change.

The United Nations and the world's major powers, including the United States and the European Union, have responded positively by congratulating Rouhani in the hope that the new Iranian government would cooperate with them on a range of issues, including the resumption of the stalled nuclear talks.

But one would be naive to expect post-Mahmoud Ahmedinejad Iran to take a U-turn in its foreign policy. We should not forget that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say in the country's key policies, such as relations with major powers and the nuclear issue, with the president's role being reduced to that of the executor.