Iran’s former nuclear negotiator now its president–he wants sanctions dropped

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani (Photo by Mojtaba Salimi )

Iran’s new president took his oath of office and spoke today:

August 04, 2013

Iran’s new president, moderate Muslim cleric Hassan Rouhani, took the oath of office before parliament Sunday, a day after he was formally endorsed and confirmed in his new role by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei…

Trained as a lawyer in addition to the religious studies he began as a teenager, Rouhani has held senior political posts in Iran for decades, including leading the nation’s team of nuclear negotiators for over 15 years (1989-2005).

The president is Iran’s head of government. Iran’s supreme leader is the chief of state and gives final approval for major policy decisions. http://www.voanews.com/content/rouhani-to-take-oath-of-office-as-irans-president/1723111.html

August 4, 2013

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has urged the West to drop sanctions and treat Tehran with respect, during his inauguration speech to parliament.

MPs cheered as he said: “If you want an adequate response, you shouldn’t speak the language of sanctions, you should speak the language of respect.”…

Mr Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator who has worked as a diplomat for three decades, won a surprise victory in June’s election…

Among the foreign dignitaries attending was senior North Korean official Kim Yong-nam, who held talks with Mr Rouhani on Saturday.

Iran and North Korea have close ties and both face opposition to their nuclear programmes from the West.

Mr Rouhani used to be Iran’s chief negotiator on nuclear issues…http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23565996

While obviously Iran wants sanctions dropped, the reality is that President Rouhani may be saying that to give a hint to the West that he wants to negotiate (at least for more time for Iran to develop its nuclear capabilities).

As far as his ‘surprise victory’ that BBC mentioned, Hassan Rouhani credited the mystical 12th Imam, also known as the Imam Mahdi or the last Islamic Savior, for his election as Iran’s president (Iran’s President-elect wants to negotiate with the USA and credits the ‘Islamic messiah’ for his election).

Notice also the following from the USA:

August 4, 2013

US says it may be willing to work with new Iran president over nuclear concerns

The United States says it is willing to work with newly sworn-in Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to address concerns over the Persian Gulf country’s nuclear program, but only if it will engage the issue seriously.

It needs to be understood that Iran has nuclear ambitions. President Rouhani’s boss, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has claimed the Iran needs nuclear weapons for this Imam Madhi to publicly arrive (Khamenei Has Claimed Iranian Nuclear Weapons Need for the Arrival of the 12th Imam).

It still seems to me that some in Iran, including its President-Elect Hassan Rouhani (spelled Rowhani in the above article), have read the ancient text The Art of War attributed to Sun Tzu and adopted some of the book’s strategies. One of the strategies in that book is to try to look like you want peace while you prepare for the war that you want. This could be what Iran and its new president are doing.

As far as Iran goes, my reading and re-reading of Bible prophecy simply does not show that it will be a major player in Daniel 11:21-44 nor the deal of Psalm 83:4-8 (Arabs, Turks, and Europeans are); though Ezekiel 30:1-9 possibly implicates Iran as a supporter of an end-time confederation involving Egypt.

I have long felt that “neutralizing” Iran would allow most of the other Islamic states (like Saudi Arabia and Egypt) to continue to exist (Damascus the capital of Syria, is prophesied to be destroyed according to Isaiah 17:1) and allow for the rising of the prophesied King of the South of Daniel 11 to rise up (revolution in Iran, is also another possibility, for its “neutralization”).

This neutralization may well happen under the administration of Hassan Rowhani, especially if Israel learns that Iran is saying one thing while doing another on its nuclear program. Because of economic troubles in Iran, civil unrest is also possible. But either way, Iran is going to end up with LESS influence in the Islamic world in the future according to my reading on Bible prophecy. And it may take a regional war and/or civil war to accomplish that.

It is certainly possible that Hassan Rowhani will have a part in contributing to this happening.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What prophecies involve Iran? What does Islam teach about the Imam Mahdi?

Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.

Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.

The Future King of the South is Rising Does the Bible teach that there will be a future King of the South in Daniel 11? Is this kingdom rising up now? Did the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) teach that there would be another one? And who is the King of the South? How will this involve Egypt? Is the final King of the South some type of Arab-Muslim confederation? Can Iran be involved? Is there a group that seems to be supporting the goals of the King of the South? Has the Obama Administration supported the rise of this power? This is a YouTube video.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.

Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.

Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.