Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, was elected on an ambitiously reformist platform. This is what he promised:
Easing internet and web censorship
Rouhani promised to minimise online censorship, saying filtering was futile, and described social networking websites such as Facebook as a welcome phenomenon. "In the age of digital revolution, one cannot live or govern in a quarantine," he told an Iranian youth magazine.
Relaxing women's dress code
Rouhani has made it clear that he is against the crackdown on women's dress codes by the religious police, who patrol the streets looking for loose hijabs, or inappropriate dress and hairstyles. He has also pledged to reduce the gender wage gap and spoke out against segregation at universities.
Improving minority rights
During his election campaign, Rouhani said he would have a senior aide advising him on minorities should he win office. "We should pay attention to the issues and demands of our minorities. One of the president's deputies should be a member of the minorities so that he or she can pursue their issues."
Greater civil liberties
Rouhani believes people's freedom and rights have been ignored in recent years and has promised to focus on citizens' rights. "A strong government does not mean a government that interferes and intervenes in all affairs. It is not a government that limits the lives of people. This is not a strong government," he has said.
There are also some key international indicators to watch:
West's nuclear talks with Iran
Iran's current foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, has indicated that Tehran is waiting for the president-elect Rouhani to announce his nuclear negotiating team after inauguration to resume talks with the world's major powers, including the US, France, Germany, China, Russia and Britain – the group known as "P5+1". No date and venue has been chosen yet but the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said that the west was waiting for the new Iranian team, too.
The question is whether a new Iranian team would succeed in breaking the current stalemate and persuade Tehran to scale back its nuclear activities in return for a proportionate lifting of sanctions.
IAEA concerns
When Rouhani was the chief Iranian nuclear negotiator in 2003, Tehran agreed to halt its enrichment of uranium and allow more scrutiny into its facilities by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. Iran has made it clear it will not halt enrichment again but the question remains whether Rouhani would agree to an investigation of the country's suspected weapon-related activities.
Rouhani at his first UN general assembly
September will mark Rouhani's first trip to the UN general assembly in New York as Iran's new president. All eyes will be on Rouhani and his speech, and any potential bilateral meetings between the Iranian delegation and western governments, who have in recent years shunned the government of the outgoing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Some American analysts have called on the Obama administration to take the opportunity to indicate that it is open to a meeting between Tehran-Washington delegations.
