Sputnik - Iran is holding its presidential election on Friday, in which incumbent leader Hassan Rouhani is expected to be reelected with over 60 percent of vote, according to recent polls.





MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Rouhani was born on November 12, 1948 in Sorkheh, a city in Iran's northern Semnan Province.

Before entering university, Rouhani took seminary classes in Qom Hawza, Iran's largest Islamic seminary school. He then went on to graduate from the University of Tehran with a bachelor's degree in judicial law. He continued his studies in Glasgow's Caledonian University in the United Kingdom, from which he received two degrees: Master of Philosophy in law and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in constitutional law.

Between 1980 and 2000, Rouhani served as a member of the Iranian parliament.

During the war between Iraq and Iran in 1980-1988, Rounhani occupied leading positions in the Iranian Armed Forces command. From 1983 to 1988, he was a member of the Supreme Defense Council, and between 1985 and 1991, served as the commander of the air defense forces. Rouhani held a short tenure as deputy commander of Iran's Armed Forces in 1988-1989.

Since 1989, Rouhani has been working in the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. He had served as the ?ouncil's secretary in 1989-2005 and as national security adviser to Iran's president in 2000-2005. Rouhani represented Iran as a chief negotiator in the international talks on the country' nuclear program in between 2003 and 2005.

Rouhani has also worked as a member of Iran's Expediency Council since 1991, and a member of the nation's Assembly of Experts since 1999.

From 1992 to 2013, he occupied the position as head of the Center for Strategic Research of Iran.

Rouhani was elected Iran's president on June 14, 2013, after 18 million Iranians voted in support of his candidacy. Two months later, he was officially sworn in as president. His term expires on August 3, 2017.

Around 100 books and scientific papers written by Rouhani have been published.

Rouhani speaks Arab, English, German, Russian and French.