Domestic politics and a June election could make the difference in how Iran addresses its main dilemma of the coming year: whether to compromise on its nuclear program or maintain a policy of defiance, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, January 1. Iran is slated to elect a new president amid deep political divisions and rivalries among conservative factions. The discord is on daily display in Iranian media, with prominent political figures blaming one another for an economy withering from international sanctions and years of mismanagement, with a plummeting currency and skyrocketing inflation. These issues, at the heart of Iran’s standoff with the West, will likely dominate the campaign. The contest for power will pit candidates seen as loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against those associated with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The main reformist parties said they would boycott the elections.