Iran unaffected by US election bid, on paper
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Raven Ruma
- . October 30, 2020
- . Update: October 31, 2020 7:59 am
Iranian officials said that they were least affected by the ongoing US presidential elections, and even the country’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is known for his staunch anti-American stance, did not comment over the matter. In September, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, “America has a deep-rooted enmity against the Iranian nation and whether Trump is elected or Biden, it will not have any impact on the US main policy to strike the Iranian nation,” as reported by Tehran’s semiofficial Fars news agency.
But many observers believed that the stillness and calmness of the Islamic Republic was not result of its indifference to US but an uneasy pause and restless wait to observe who would be holding the reigns of its rival nation – Donald Trump or Joe Biden.
Iran and all its allies seemed to have with held themselves from taking any major strategic decisions till it gets revealed that who trumped the US election bid. Contrary to the officials’ claims, Tehran, which has victim to US sanctions, Cold War threats, arms embargo, assassination, sabotage and economically crippling policies, imposed by latter, has been waiting for results with baited breath.
The polls conducted by the state-owned polling center ISPA, this month reflected that 55 percent of people believed the outcome of the election was likely to impact Iran “a lot.” More than half believed that Trump would get re-elected, while a fifth said it would be Biden. For the polls, ISPA surveyed over 1,600 people over telephone.
Besides, recently US accused Iran of undertaking cyber attack with an aim to disrupt US elections. US President Donald Trump’s exert ‘maximum pressure’ policy has worsened the ties between the two and Iran’s economic stability. Trump administration’s pressing police sent Iranian currency into freefall. In order to gain a bit of financial security, Iranians started investing their money in foreign currency, real estate, precious metals and the stock market — which reached the record mark in August.
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Analyst believe that Iran has been eagerly awaiting US election results also to resume its nuclear negotiations, which completely rests on the fact who takeover the country’s leadership. Bidden in his campaign said that he would reinforce the nuclear treaty between US and Iran, which Trump called off in May 2018. “’America First’ has made America alone,” Biden said at a televised ABC town hall this month, slamming Trump’s trademark slogan. “You have Iran closer to having enough nuclear material to build a bomb.”
Where as Trump’s election win might bring greater disappointment to Tehran. During a campaign rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Trump said, “The first call I get when we win will be from the head of Iran, let’s make a deal. Their economy is crashing. They will call and I want them to do well, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon.” Mehdi Khalaji, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, “Khamenei’s revolutionary path actually leads to America — that is, by seeking a stable, safe, and meticulously measured relationship with the United States, he believes he can guarantee the survival of both the regime and its revolutionary content and orientation.” He added, “Tehran’s objective is therefore a scandalous paradox: Deal with America to remain anti-American.”
