Obama and Rouhani Hold First US-Iran Presidential Phone Call Since 1979

President Obama and newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speak by phone, the first direct communication between American and Iranian presidents in 34 years, signaling a diplomatic opening.

Following the election of moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani as Iran's president in June 2013, an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough occurred on September 27: President Barack Obama and President Rouhani spoke by phone during the UN General Assembly week in New York. It was the first direct communication between sitting American and Iranian presidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Both leaders expressed a desire to resolve the nuclear standoff through diplomacy. The call, though brief, was a historic moment and opened the door for the intensive nuclear negotiations that would produce the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. It also reflected a significant shift in Iranian domestic politics, with reformists briefly gaining the upper hand over hardliners.