What to look out for in new Iranian President Raisi's foreign policy
CGTN
Iran's new president, Ebrahim Raisi, will have a lot on his plate to deal with as he takes office this week. He will have to manage any potential blowback following a drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker last week, which the U.S. and Israel believe Iran was behind. He will also have to decide whether or not to continue talks to get the U.S. back into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement in which the U.S. lifts sanctions in exchange for Iran freezing its nuclear program.
While getting the JCPOA back on track will likely take up much attention during Raisi's first weeks, it is important not to see Iranian foreign policy as solely a confrontation between Tehran and Washington. He will have several other issues to deal with, including Iran's wider relations in the Middle East and how it deals with other world powers, like Russia and China.
Undoubtedly, the start of Raisi's presidency will be dominated by the JCPOA and the attacked oil tanker. Although Iran has denied responsibility for the attack that killed two crew members, including a Briton, there have been reports that the U.S., Israel and Britain may be planning a response. If so, this could not come at a more awkward time. Since the start of the year, the new American administration under President Joe Biden had been talking indirectly to the Iranians about restarting the JCPOA. But the optimism of June has given way to a less optimistic prognosis today.
