Following Rouhani’s inauguration in August, he launched a diplomatic campaign to improve Iranian engagement with the West. In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Rouhani criticized international sanctions against Iran but emphasized his country’s willingness to seek compromise over the Iranian nuclear program. His conciliatory overtures led to a telephone call with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama in late September, the first direct conversation between a U.S. and an Iranian leader since 1979.
