1. The Washington Post Hassan Rowhani will be Iran's next president not only because he was picked by a majority of Iranian voters, but also because supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei chose to accept his victory. That decision surprised us but in retrospect there was good reason. Had the Islamic regime falsified the results and blocked Rowhani, it would have risked a repeat of the popular uprising that followed the 2009 election. … The poll showed that a majority of Iranians continues to yearn for a freer society and reject the reactionary policies of Khamenei and his clique of hard-line clerics. If Rowhani is not allowed to take steps to answer those aspirations, both he and the regime could face another popular challenge. Washington 2. The Age The unexpected victory … of the sole moderate among half-a-dozen Iranian presidential candidates, Hassan Rowhani, is a stunning expression of popular will. The result may have revived the prospect of change in Iran. It had been expected supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would ensure a highly controlled election that delivered a conservative president. Instead, the candidates seen to be favoured by Khamenei finished a distant second and third. … Dr Rowhani has a resounding mandate for his promises of a break with Iran's hardline policies, especially its nuclear arms. Iran would be best served by its religious rulers if they heeded the democratic call to re-engage with the global community. Melbourne 3. Gulf News The surprisingly big victory for Hassan Rowhani in Iran's presidential poll gives him an opportunity to mend relations with its neighbours and the US. Outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad deliberately soured relations to reap the political benefit … The difficulty is that Rowhani … might come from a more pragmatic camp than some of his ultra-conservative poll opponents, but he is still firmly within the orthodoxy of the Islamic Revolution … Nonetheless, a solution is there for the taking if Iran can reassure the international community that there is no threat from its enrichment … Rowhani will have to reassure the Arab states that he will reverse Ahmadinejad's policies, which will be tough. Dubai
