By Sophie Soloway ’23
Global Editor
Iran’s June 18 presidential election has sparked wide-ranging controversy, as well as global concern for the reemergence of an international nuclear deal. The vote — which had notably low turn-out, according to The New York Times — concluded with the election of Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi, previously a judiciary clerk, has long been known for his conservative politics and political proximity to the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Analysts, including Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, have been quick to note that the rising prominence of conservative Iranian leaders may have a significant impact on ongoing nuclear deal negotiations.
Although the Biden administration has made some progress in reentering the deal after its abandonment under the Trump administration, they have made no concrete actions to reengage Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 international agreement to limit the country’s nuclear expansion. Raisi and the Ayatollah’s conservatism has led many to predict the state would be less likely to enter into deals involving the proposed United States-imposed economic sanctions and external control.
Despite these concerns, Raisi has verbally committed to continuing with the talks. However, these negotiations have been drawn out, with the election significantly lengthening the timeline to reach an agreement. On June 25, just one week after the Iranian election, officials from both the U.S. and France threatened to pull away from talks if tangible agreements are not made in the coming days.