Rouhani Victorious as Nuclear Deal Offers Sanctions Respite

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s deal with world powers may strengthen his hand against hardliners opposed to his policy of detente and bolster his popularity at home, where sanctions have drained the economy.

“Rouhani has won a major domestic victory,” Ghanem Nuseibeh, the London-based founder of Cornerstone Global Associates, which advises clients on risk in the Middle East, said by telephone. “He said he would help the economy and work on easing the sanctions, and less than six months later, he has a deal.”