19 Oct 2021; MEMO: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is focusing on achieving tangible results in domestic issues rather than following the footsteps of his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, who was more focused on the nuclear file, which may take a long time to be resolved, experts say.
Iranian affairs specialist Bernard Hourcade believes that Raisi "travels across the provinces because he wants to give the image of a pragmatic senior official looking for solutions on the ground."
He explained that Raisi's main concern is to prevent any local disturbances, because he knows that in light of the tense economic situation, "local sparks begin to spread if he is not careful."
"Therefore, he should be very attentive and make visits to closely monitor the situation" in the country, he added.
A Western diplomat, who asked not to be named, said Raisi "knows that reaching an agreement on the nuclear file may take time due to the absence of consensus among those responsible for the file in Iran," therefore he "prefers to prove himself in domestic politics".
An Iranian journalist who also asked not to be named, said over the past two months, the Iranian president has made seven trips to the provinces.
Raisi had said his visits aim to identify the problems people are facing. "We want to create job opportunities, stimulate production, and solve problems, especially for the poor."
