It is only in working democracies that an election would mean a real fresh start for the citizens of a country. This seems to be true about Iran. Since the election of the moderate Hassan Rouhani in June 2013, the voters inside the country and statesmen across the world have expected a relatively new Iran.

This Tuesday–whether in a possible meeting or simple photograph beamed across social media–the world may get a glimpse of what could be a possible U.S.-Iran rapprochement building steam. While the pitfalls and challenges to any warming of relations between Washington and Tehran would be great, it is clearly in both nations’ interests to pursue such an effort.

Nearly 35 years after the Islamic Revolution, gender discrimination is still a challenging issue for Iran. On the one hand, the situation for Iranian women has improved considerably in many respects under the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). On the other, there is a clear and seemingly impregnable ceiling for women in administrative and government positions.

After more than six decades of strife, a senior adviser to Iran's leadership has signaled the country's openness to a profound and historic strategic change in Iran's relations with the West. A brief letter from US President Obama offering potential relief from international sanctions in return for a swift agreement regarding Iran's controversial nuclear program has been reportedly answered by an equally brief and amicable note from Iran's moderate new president, Hassan Rouhani.

Iranian President Hasan Rouhani says his people should be free to think, speak and seek information on the Internet, subject to "the protection of our national identity." In an interview with NBC News in Tehran, Rouhani said that a "commission for citizens' rights" will be established "in the near future." He said the viewpoint of the government on censorship issues should be based "on our morals."

In many ways, the Middle East makes a strange -- and at times perilous -- hotbed for caricature. Many of the region's leaders have a poor reputation for humor, and often, the list of banned topics makes for a long read. For those that dare to satirize a taboo, the punishments can be harsh: arrest, torture, exile, even death.

Iran’s President Hasan Rouhani has given an interview to NBC–his first with a US media outlet. In it, he said his country will never build nuclear weapons and added that he has full authority to negotiate with the West over the country’s nuclear program. Rouhani’s interview comes a day after Iran freed noted human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and another 10 detainees.