Hassan Rouhani

Hassan Rouhani, born on November 12, 1948, in Sorkheh, Iran, served as the President of Iran from 2013 to 2021. A moderate conservative cleric, he was elected on a platform of reducing tensions with the West and improving the economy. His presidency is most notable for negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal, with world powers in 2015. Rouhani held a PhD in constitutional law from Glasgow Caledonian University. Despite the nuclear deal, his presidency was also marked by economic challenges, including the reimposition of US sanctions after the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018. The 2017-2018 protests and the 2019 fuel protests occurred during his tenure.