US Election Dominates Iranian Headlines

The impacts of the US election results dominate Iranian news this week. After the projection of a Biden victory was announced, President Rouhani’s English-language Twitter released a statement criticising the political, civil and moral decline of US politics. In the days preceding the election, the Iranian regime emphasised that their policy towards the US would not be affected by the presidential election result. However, President Rouhani said that the Biden presidency is an “opportunity for the next US government to make up for past mistakes.”

The Iranian President urged Biden to make amends for the actions of the Trump Administration. Photo credit: AFP News

The Iranian political spectrum maintained varying reactions to the election result. Javad Zarif, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that he hoped the new administration would accept multilateral cooperation and pursue diplomatic relations with dignity, interest, and respect. Zarif also took the opportunity to reach out to other Middle Eastern countries, calling for dialogue to resolve differences. Iranian First Vice President Esahq Jahangiri said that the economic sanctions and assassination of General Qassem Soleimani would not be forgotten. Meanwhile, Iranian Members of Parliament commented that American imperialism would not end with Trumps administration and that caution and ignorance must be avoided.

Despite the global focus on the future of the Iranian Nuclear Deal, President Trump reminded Iran that his presidency is not yet over. Trump instructed the US Treasury Department to impose sanctions on 6 firms and 4 individuals who are accused of supplying sensitive goods to an Iranian military firm. Projections are that the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” policy will continue to intensify for the remainder of his term.