Iran to hold on to Eastern promise

New reformist leadership is unlikely to see any quick changes to relations with the West, but Iran has opportunity to boost its energy and foreign policy options

Masoud Pezeshkian, a classic reformist and former member of parliament, has emerged as the new president of Iran following an election held after the death of the country’s pro-East president, Ebrahim Raisi, resulting in the resurgence of reformists in Iranian politics. Just three months ago, even the most optimistic political observers in Iran saw little chance of Pezeshkian securing a seat in parliament, let alone the presidency. But Iran now has a president who, during his campaign, emphasised efforts to resolve issues with the West. Iran's foreign policy is influenced by a complex and opaque mix of geopolitical, ideological, economic and political factors, making it difficult to define a