The election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States has caused alarm among officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Serious concerns arise from the fact that Trump, known for his tough stance toward Tehran, has in the past withdrew from the nuclear deal, strengthened sanctions and ordered the assassination of top military leader Qassem Soleimani.
Israelinfo writes about this.
Immediately after the announcement of the election results, the Iranian currency plummeted to a record low: the rial exchange rate reached 703,000 rials per dollar. According to traders in Tehran, the population fears a new wave of sanctions that, in their opinion, could further weaken the Iranian economy.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who makes key decisions in foreign policy and in the nuclear field, may reconsider his strategy towards the United States, even to the point of being willing to discuss possible negotiations. According to Reuters sources, the Iranian leadership may be considering options for direct or indirect dialogue with the United States, as Trump has repeatedly stated that he does not want to harm Iran, but intends to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Although the Iranian government has tried to show indifference to the results of the US elections, presidential spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stressed Wednesday morning that the change of US president will not affect the Islamic Republic’s strategy. However, with the appearance of the first data on Trump’s victory, the tone of official statements changed. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bekai said Iran sees the new US administration as an opportunity to review the “misguided approaches of the previous government.”
Also alarming is the possibility that with Trump’s arrival in the White House, Israel will receive support for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. In his October campaign speech, Trump said he was not seeking war with Iran, but emphasized that Israel has every right to “attack Iran’s nuclear program and then take care of the rest,” referring to recent missile attacks in Israeli soil.
Iranian professor and former director of the IRNA news agency Abdullah Naseri expressed the view that Trump’s return could weaken the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Supreme Leader Khamenei in the region. According to him, the likelihood that the planned attack on Israel, codenamed True Promise 3, will be canceled has increased significantly because Tehran considers Trump a more unpredictable and dangerous adversary than Biden.
Previously, Kursor wrote that Iran made a bold new statement about Israel.
