Tehran Says Change In President Will Not Affect Nuclear Deal

Wires and social media reporting unattributed comments from Iranian officials stating that the upcoming change in president will not affect talks surrounding the country coming into compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA, the Iran nuclear deal).

• Given the likely shift from a reformist gov't under incumbent Hassan Rouhani to a more hard-line conservative administration under the new president (head of the Iranian judiciary Ebrahim Raisi is the clear frontrunner), the prospect of talks being unaffected by a change in administration is slim.
• Even if talks are concluded and an agreement reached that takes Iran back into compliance and sees US sanctions lifted before the inauguration of the new president in early August, there is the chance that the newcomer simply ignores the provisions of the deal and once again takes Iran into non-compliance.