TEHRAN — Iran's president stepped up his challenge to hard-line factions on Monday, calling for the lifting of restrictions on academic freedoms and for granting Iranian scholars more opportunity to take part in international conferences. The message from Hassan Rohani underscores the increasing friction between his moderate-leaning views and entrenched forces such as a student wing of the powerful Revolutionary Guard, which has questioned the scope of the new president's overtures to Washington. Rohani has pushed to break the standoff with the international community over Tehran's controversial nuclear program, and talks between Iran and world powers are due to resume on Tuesday in Geneva. Rohani's call on Monday also points to potential deeper political fissures. Iran's top policymaker, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has endorsed Rohani's outreach to the US, but some of the forces coming under the president's criticism also are controlled by Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. Rohani, who took office in August, has previously called for lifting curbs on social media access and urged police not to crack down on perceived violations of Islamic dress codes for women. “This is a shame for an administration that its students and professors are not able to express their viewpoints,” Rohani told Tehran University students and professors. “This administration will not tolerate factional pressures on universities.” He also urged authorities not to block scholars from taking part in international gatherings, calling it “scientific diplomacy.” “I urge all security apparatuses, including the intelligence ministry, to open the way for this diplomacy. Trust the universities,” said Rohani. In recent years, many professors and student activists at Iranian universities were expelled or went into forced retirement under pressure from hard-line groups. Rohani also reiterated his promises for greater outreach to the world. “We should have solidarity and peaceful co-existence with all friendly countries or even with all the world's nations,” he told the gathering. The Tehran Jewish Association, in a statement made available to The Associated Press on Monday, supported Rohani's international outreach and urged President Barack Obama and other Western leaders to use the “golden opportunity” to seek better relations with Iran. — AP
