Moderate Cleric Wins Iran Presidency

Is Iran about to become more moderate? Reformist-backed candidate Hasan Rowhani won the country's presidential race Saturday with more than 18 million—a little over half—of the votes cast. (His closest competitor, the mayor of Tehran, only garnered 6 million.) Seventy-two percent of Iran's 50 million eligible voters turned out. Although the president of Iran has some power over the economy and the ability to set the tone on major issues, it's the country's supreme leader who makes all final decisions, both religious and civic. The election of a moderate as president, however, puts pressure on his superior to allow some changes to Iran’s political culture.