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Iran's Rouhani officially begins second term as president

TEHRAN, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was sworn in for a second term on Thursday, fresh off his convincing victory in presidential elections held in May.
In a ceremony presided over by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamanei, Rouhani addressed a packed audience of Iranian officials, saying that the government was eager to stamp out corruption and inflation, as well as achieve economic growth.
He added that the Islamic Republic would never allow efforts to isolate the country to succeed, citing the nuclear deal Tehran struck with the P5+1 group of nations as a testament to Iran's "peaceful intentions." Rouhani vowed that the government would not renege on its promises of social justice, increased production and ample job opportunities, saying that the road to economic prosperity was a long one.
Meanwhile, Rouhani is scheduled to take the oath of office in parliament on Saturday in a ceremony expected to draw a massive turnout of foreign and local officials.
In May's presidential elections, Rouhani garnered more than 22 million votes out of almost 40 million casted. (end) mw.nam