Who is popular today?

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has said his country is prepared to take steps to live up to measures in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as soon as the United States lifts economic sanctions.
In a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Mr Rouhani said: “Iran is ready to immediately take compensatory measures based on the nuclear deal and fulfil its commitments just after the US illegal sanctions are lifted and it abandons its policy of threats and pressure.”
The Iranian leader criticised the European signatories of the historic nuclear deal for what he said was their inaction on their commitments to the agreement. He said Iran is the only country that kept its side of the bargain.
In 2018, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iranian nuclear accord, in which Tehran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
When the United States then reimposed some sanctions and added others, Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the deal’s limits on its nuclear development.
The Sunday morning meeting between Mr Coveney and Mr Rouhani was in Ireland’s capacity at theUN Security Council (UNSC) for discussions on the stalled nuclear deal between Iran and the EU and the countries of the UN Security Council. “The aim is for all parties to fully engage with the deal,” a spokesman for the Minister said.
The Iranian Government said in a tweet that during the meeting Mr Rouhani “referred to background of Ireland membership in UNSC and its impartial approach, saying UNSC should stand against former US administration for its baseless violation of the resolution”.
The visit comes amid signs that the Iran nuclear deal (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), which stalled after it was repudiated by former US president Donald Trump, could be resuscitated under the administration of new US president Joe Biden.
The trip comes days after the Government announced that it will reopen Ireland’s embassy in Tehran and will see Mr Coveney discuss wider Middle East issues with Mr Rouhani and the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif.
But officials said the main focus would be on the stalled nuclear deal. Concluded in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the security council – the US, UK, China, Russia and France – plus Germany and the EU, the deal saw Iran agree to inspections to verify its nuclear programme was purely for peaceful purposes in return for a lifting of sanctions against the country.
Mr Biden has indicated his desire to restart the deal, and in recent days there have been indications that informal talks could begin next month.
One of Ireland’s roles on the Security Council is as “facilitator” for the resolution, which approved the nuclear deal in 2015. – additional reporting PA