After the Iran student protests, July 1999 he, as secretary of Supreme National Security Council, stated in a pro-government rally that “At dusk yesterday we received a decisive revolutionary order to crush mercilessly and monumentally any move of these opportunist elements wherever it may occur. From today our people shall witness how in the arena our law enforcement force . . . shall deal with these opportunists and riotous elements, if they simply dare to show their faces.” and led the crackdown.
He attempted to position as a stable regional player, advocating dialogue with neighboring countries, though tensions with Saudi Arabia and Israel remained high. His administration sought foreign investment and reopening channels for trade and financial transactions. Rouhani inherited a struggling economy marked by inflation, unemployment, and the impacts of global sanctions.
