Iran's next president is a hardliner who could cause problems for Biden, & Trump helped pave the way

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for his victory

Iranian president-elect Ebrahim Raisi won't be inaugurated until August, but he's already made it clear that he's not especially interested in diplomacy with the US by rejecting the notion of meeting with President Joe Biden.

Beyond writing off a face-to-face with Biden, Raisi on Monday also said he won't negotiate over the country's ballistic missile program or relinquish support for regional militias that have fomented attacks against US and Israeli troops, per the Associated Press.

"His election puts into question the future of any US follow-on talks with Iran," Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Insider. "I don't see Raisi and the Iranian regime willing to pursue future talks with the US on ballistic missiles and Iranian proxies. Instead they will opt for bilateral discussions with regional counterparts to discuss these issues similar to the format of talks with the Saudis in Baghdad."

Raisi, Iran's judiciary chief and a protege of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is poised to be the most hardline president the country has seen in years and could cause major headaches for Biden.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/irans-next-president-is-a-hardliner-who-could-cause-problems-for-biden-and-trump-helped-pave-the-way-for-his-victory/ar-AALhG8X

Iran’s next president gives Biden a new nuclear headache

Iran has chosen a new president, which means Joe Biden faces a new dilemma.

Ebrahim Raisi, the victor in Iran’s recent, tightly controlled election, is not just any hardline Iranian politician. He stands accused of an array of human rights abuses, including the mass killing of political dissidents, and former President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on him. Now, Biden and top aides, led by U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley, are facing pressure over whether to lift the sanctions on Raisi as they negotiate with Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Hawkish former U.S. officials and analysts in Washington say Biden shouldn’t lift the sanctions, which Trump imposed on Raisi citing his alleged role in human rights abuses. But Iranian officials are implying the sanctions need to be among those the U.S. lifts if the nuclear deal is to be resurrected.

The question is among many that hover over the nuclear talks, which just wrapped up a sixth round this weekend. The discussions have primarily taken place in Vienna, with European officials acting as go-betweens for delegations from Iran and the United States, which do not have formal diplomatic relations and are not directly negotiating with each other.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/irans-next-president-gives-biden-a-new-nuclear-headache/ar-AALhMsM

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1. He Actually Makes A Good Point

The U.S. needs to come back into compliance with the JCPOA. Why would Iran consider additional restrictions when the U.S. couldn't even keep to the original agreement?