Since Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Iranian officials have played down the importance of his return to the White House, saying that it won’t have a big effect on how Iran deals with other countries or its overall policy goals. Even though Trump took a hard line against Iran during his first term, pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and placing harsh sanctions, Iranian leaders have made it clear that they will stick to their long-term plans no matter what happens in the U.S.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokeswoman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said that the election results gave the U.S. a chance to rethink its policies, especially ones that Iran sees as bad, like Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign while he was president. Although the Iranian government admitted that the U.S. has generally followed what it sees as “wrong” policies, it doesn’t seem to want to change its ways based on who is in the White House. Baghaei’s words show that he is okay with the tensions between the two countries staying the same. Iran is more interested in the chance to think again about what the U.S. is doing than in expecting big changes from them.
President Masoud Pezeshkian agreed and said that Trump’s win doesn’t mean much to Iran because the country has long put a high priority on building relationships with Islamic countries and neighboring states. Iran’s focus on these ties with other countries in the region, especially those in the Middle East, is part of a larger plan to become less reliant on the U.S. and its power in the area. Officials in Iran have always said that their foreign policy is different from the U.S. administrations that come and go.
It was emphasized even more by Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for the Iranian government, who said that Iran’s policies are set and will not be affected by the result of the U.S. election. She said that Iran’s strategic plans are set to make sure that its domestic objectives, especially the health and safety of its citizens, stay the same, no matter who is president of the United States. For Iran, this is part of a larger belief that the U.S. is an eternal enemy and that outside forces, even changes in U.S. leadership, have no power over the country’s internal or external policies.
The history of relations between the U.S. and Iran is very important for understanding this reaction. A long time ago, there were problems between the two countries because of things like the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which got rid of the U.S.-backed Shah and set up the Islamic Republic. Between 1980 and 1990, things got even worse, but during Trump’s first term, things were at their worst. People saw his choice to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and the new sanctions that were put on Iran as major acts of provocation. In 2020, the U.S. killed General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike, which made things even worse and set the stage for continued fighting.
Because of these events, Iran’s leaders have long thought that U.S. policies are part of a larger pattern of meddling in Iranian matters. While the tone or style of the U.S. presidential transition may change, Iran’s position has stayed surprisingly stable. Officials in Iran have said they don’t think that the next U.S. government will change its approach in a way that will lead to real diplomatic progress or a real change in the sanctions regime.
Instead, Iran has chosen to focus on its own goals of regional influence, building stronger military and economic links with neighboring countries and becoming less dependent on the U.S. and other Western powers. Iran wants to become a major player in Middle Eastern affairs without needing Western approval or backing. It plans to do this by fostering closer ties with countries like China, Russia, and other Middle Eastern partners. This is also part of Iran’s larger plan to protect itself from the economic and political pressures that the U.S. and its partners are putting on it.
Finally, the Iranian government’s reaction to Trump’s victory is a reminder that Iran is not likely to change its strategic goals any time soon, even though Washington’s politics have changed. The leaders of the country are focused on long-term stability and building alliances in the area. The political unrest and changes in U.S. leadership don’t seem to bother them. Even though Trump’s victory could mean new problems in international talks, Iran’s message is clear: it will keep working toward its goals with or without US help.
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