By Anthony Faiola / Stefano Pitrelli in Rome and Virgile Demoustier in Paris contributed to this report.

ROME — When the last Iranian president touched down in the Eternal City for a U.N. summit in 2008, Italian officials and businessmen ran the other way. But they are already lining up for Hassan Rouhani.


Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi suggested that his book was made possible by the desire for more expansive reforms. (AP)