In Final Speech, Outgoing Iran President Warns against Hardline Approach

Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after delivering his last speech at the Iran International Conference Center. (Iranian Presidency)
Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after delivering his last speech at the Iran International Conference Center. (Iranian Presidency)
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In Final Speech, Outgoing Iran President Warns against Hardline Approach

Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after delivering his last speech at the Iran International Conference Center. (Iranian Presidency)
Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after delivering his last speech at the Iran International Conference Center. (Iranian Presidency)

In his final speech as the seventh president of Iran, outgoing President Hassan Rouhani fiercely defended the nuclear deal and his country’s foreign policy but warned against adopting a hardline approach.

Supreme leader Ali Khamenei will transfer power to president-elect Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday. He will officially assume office on Thursday.

On the last day of his official duties as president, Rouhani and his aides participated in a farewell ceremony at the Iran International Conference Center with senior officials in his government.

“What I believed is needed to save the country in 2013 remains the same,” said Rouhani, explaining that “moderation and a constructive approach” were needed in dealing with both internal and external affairs.

He insisted on defending his approach and eight-year legacy in office, urging rival politicians to set aside their disputes and prioritize the country’s advancement.

“We must conclude that the hardline era is over,” he added, stressing that moderation was the best option.

Rouhani, a moderate, made his comments amid fierce criticism from rival conservatives and Revolutionary Guard media.

Conservatives blame him for Iran’s deteriorating economy and have repeatedly condemned his insistence on reviving the nuclear deal.

But Rouhani highlighted his administration’s success in lifting seven sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, saying his team has always been hopeful about the results of constructive communication and dialogue.



Students Sue Texas University, Governor over Gaza Protest Arrests

A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Students Sue Texas University, Governor over Gaza Protest Arrests

A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Four current and former University of Texas at Austin students sued the college and Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday, alleging they faced unlawful arrest and retaliatory discipline for demonstrating against Israel's assault on Gaza.
The lawsuit is among a wave of legal actions against US universities, law enforcement and state leaders over their handling of pro-Palestinian student protests that erupted in the Spring of 2024.
Filed in US District Court in San Antonio by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) on behalf of the students, the lawsuit accuses UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, Abbott and law enforcement officers of intentionally suppressing pro-Palestinian speech at an April 24, 2024, campus protest.
According to the filing, Abbott, with the consent of Hartzell, ordered state police in riot gear to carry out mass arrests, violating protesters' First Amendment rights to assemble and express their opinions.
In response to the lawsuit, UT Austin spokesperson Mike Rosen referred to statements the university made after the arrests saying it acted to preserve campus safety, enforce protest rules, and that most arrests were of people from outside the university.
Abbott's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. In a social media post during the arrests, Abbott said: "Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas."
Two students named in the suit said they wanted to protect others from the physical and mental harm they had suffered.
"It is reclaiming our narrative because we were treated as antisemitic criminals," said Arwyn Heilrayne, a second-year student, who experienced a panic attack after she was knocked to the ground by police and had her wrists tightly zip-tied.
She has since had to leave an internship at the state legislature and been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of her arrest, she said.
Mia Cisco said suing the university took on a new urgency as she watched the Trump administration try to deport foreign students for their pro-Palestinian advocacy.
"It's really vital and crucial right now to make sure that that we say that it's not okay," said Cisco, a third-year student, who had her hijab forcibly removed by police following her arrest.
Dozens of demonstrators were taken into custody at the protest then released two days later after the Travis County Attorney's Office said charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause.
All students arrested faced university disciplinary action, according to the lawsuit.
ADC Director Abed Ayoub saw most Americans, especially Texans, backing free speech for pro-Palestinian protesters.
"Governor Abbott and others are underestimating how much Americans value their First Amendment rights," said Ayoub.