Mr Rouhani, while opening Iran to the world, remains firmly a part of its small, clerically ruled power structure. After Iraq started the 1980s war with Iran, Mr Rouhani held several defence positions, including serving as the head of Iran's National Air Defense Command. He also served as a national security adviser to then-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, whose realist attitude toward the world Mr Rouhani later would emulate. During this time, rights groups allege Mr Rouhani served on an extra-constitutional committee that planned the assassination of opponents and exiles abroad. During his re-election campaign, Mr Rouhani began criticising hard-liners more stridently than he had in his first four-year term.

Source: Bangkok Post May 21, 2017 09:14 UTC