Will Iran's Reformists Have Their Day?

Although many of Rouhani’s supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate tonight [June 15], they too have many demands and time will tell if their demands will be met. The social and economic burdens that have been put on millions of Iranians in the last few years will take years to recover from, and the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration seemed either aloof or in denial as to the toll the public had taken as a result of sanctions and mismanagement. Also, the status of 2009 presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi under house arrest, and political prisoners, was a common concern at many Rouhani rallies where supporters would chant their names in support. Their release could serve as a step to broader social reforms.