BATTLE LINES DRAWN: RAISI TAKES HARDLINE VIEW ON MISSILES, MILITIAS: It didn’t take much time to ascertain what would Iran’s approach be on key issues under new president Ebrahim Raisi. On ties with US, Raisi made it clear that he has no intention of meeting President Joe Biden. More importantly, he has said there will be no change in issues like Iran’s ballistic missile programme and support of regional militias, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Popular Mobilisation Units in Iraq. The 60-year-old cleric is a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. And after a long time in Iran, the presidency in line with the militarist establishment in Iran - the Revolutionary Guard, the Guardian Council, the judiciary and, of course, the Supreme Leader himself.[COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AP