Iran Reacts to Donald Trump’s Victory in US Presidential Election
Iran has expressed its views on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, calling it an opportunity for the United States to reassess past “wrong policies”. Trump, who emerged victorious over US Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s election, will be returning to the White House in January.
During his first term, Trump had pursued a “maximum pressure” strategy on Iran, which had led to heightened tensions between the two nations. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying, “We have very bitter experiences with the policies and approaches of different US governments in the past.” He added that Trump’s win presents a chance for the US to “review previous wrong policies”.
The relationship between Iran and the United States has been strained since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with tensions escalating during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021. Despite dismissing the US election as irrelevant before Trump’s victory was declared, Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated, “The general policies of the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are fixed. It doesn’t matter who becomes president. Plans have already been set so that there is no change in people’s livelihood.”
During his tenure, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and imposed severe sanctions on Iran. In 2020, under Trump’s presidency, the US carried out an airstrike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport.
As Iran reacts to Trump’s victory and looks towards the future, it remains to be seen how the relationship between the two nations will evolve under the new administration. The comments from Iranian officials reflect a cautious optimism for potential changes in US foreign policy towards Iran.
