ENEMY OF CHOICE

Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani may emerge as Donald Trump's best choice to head up postwar Tehran-despite their clashes during the U.S. leader's first term

- BY TOM O'CONNOR

"IF DEVELOPMENTS ON THE GROUND WERE TO LEAD TO [ROUHANI'S] EMERGENCE ASA CENTRAL FIGURE, THIS COULD BE FRAMED AS A POLITICAL SUCCESS FOR TRUMP."

MEGHDAD MADADI ATPIMAGES/GETTY

THE KILLING OF IRAN'S SUSPECTED SECOND-IN-COMMAND to a new absentee supreme leader, as well as the head of a paramilitary network designed to suppress internal dissent, marks the latest blows to the Islamic Republic, amid a devastating war with the United States and Israel.

Thus far, the Iranian government has proven capable of quickly filling vacancies, likely to again be the case with the losses of Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij Commander Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, both of whom Tehran has confirmed were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

But with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military-espionage apparatus continuing to demonstrate deep intelligence penetration at Iran's highest levels and President Donald Trump having teased contacts on the inside, one of those insiders—either promoted or benefiting from the elimination of other top officials—may ultimately prove amenable enough for the White House to declare "mission accomplished."

Among those being discussed by observers is former President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate politician and senior cleric who—somewhat ironically—led when Trump feuded with the Islamic Republic during his first term. That clash saw the U.S. abandon a key nuclear agreement and sparked rising tensions.