Standing before Iranian lawmakers and foreign dignitaries, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took the oath of office on Saturday, starting his second leadership term. Following his oath, Rouhani called for the rule of law, freedom of speech and free access to information in Iran. He warned that radical policies would only lead Iran to a dead end. He promised that Iran will pursue a "path of coexistence and interaction with the world."

The inauguration drew an estimated 130 high-ranking international guests, according to Iran's state TV. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and French and German officials were in attendance. Mogherini has vowed to continue building ties with Iran despite pressure from the United States to keep Tehran isolated. It was the first time in Iran's history that a large number of officials from foreign countries attended the president's inauguration.

Rouhani defeated hard-line conservative Ebrahim Raisi in Iran's May 19 election after garnering 57 percent of the vote. The president's landslide victory was viewed as a sign of strong approval for his reformist agenda, particularly his 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers. He recently intensified efforts to protect the deal against US President Donald Trump's administration, which views the agreement skeptically and would like to see it scrapped or renegotiated.

"The US' lack of commitment to implementation of the nuclear deal ... proved it to be an unreliable partner to the world and even to its longtime allies," Rouhani said in comments broadcast live on state television. He also seemed to warn Trump against scrapping the deal, something the US president seems intent upon doing. "Those who want to tear up the nuclear deal should know that they will be ripping up their own political life," he said.

Courtesy:DW