The importance of regional and local factors increases as distance grows from the political hot house of TehranEvery so often Iran’s political factions change shape,and there are signs that a realignment is currently underway. July’s agreement with world powers, including the United States, and has driven a wedge in the political course that is dominating the run-in to February’s elections for parliament and Majles-e Khobregan (‘Assembly of Experts’),the body that elects the supreme leader.wide support for President Hassan Rouhani’s government is not just over its foreign policy but also its desire to revive the economy and private sector. From this follows all the speculation in Tehran that principle-ists like Ali Larijani, the parliamentary speaker, and Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri,a seasoned strategist, will help organise an electoral list for parliament broadly backing the president.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com