The August 4th presidential inauguration of veteran national security official Hassan Rouhani has raised expectations for progress nearly thirty-four years after the United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran. Given Rouhani's diplomatic demeanor and less confrontational rhetoric in comparison to his predecessor, many analysts see potential for de-escalating the nuclear crisis through Iranian concessions and US compromise on sanctions against Iran. Panelists will discuss the prospects for direct talks and progress in multilateral negotiations and dissect internal factors influencing the chances for reconciliation, including Rouhani's new cabinet and the amount of leeway the new President is likely to receive from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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