Iran's New Hardline President, Ebrahim Raisi, Will Present New Challenges For Biden
The election of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran brings not just a new face to Iranian politics, but also new problems for a Biden Administration that hopes to ease tensions with Iran while reining in its nuclear ambitions.
Arguably the most pressing concern for the U.S. is the fate of the Iran nuclear deal, the landmark 2015 agreement that sought to restrain Iran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for a lifting of some sanctions. Since President Trump pulled out of the agreement in 2018, Iran has restarted its nuclear development, and has continued to improve its ability to enrich uranium, breaking limits spelled out in the deal.
Raisi himself — a hardline cleric and judge who has held several roles in Iran's judicial system — won't be responsible for setting foreign policy. In Iran, that's the
