As the US election reached its final stages, opinions in Iran varied on Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican challenger, Donald Trump, as well as the potential new leadership at the White House and its impact on the complicated US-Iran relations.
Trump emerged as the winner on Wednesday.
Ahead of the elections, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “We don’t give much importance to the US presidential election or who wins.”
In a lengthy interview with state television, he added: “Discussions about how the election results might affect Iran’s stance on the Gaza conflict or the Palestinian issue won’t change our core positions, although there may be some tactical shifts.”
Tuesday’s newspaper front pages showed caution and anticipation as Americans went to the polls.
Alongside the election coverage, comments from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about an economic war dominated headlines, with many newspapers refraining from direct commentary on global events.
Iran’s former ambassador to Germany Ali Majedi said on Monday: “Iran is engaged in an economic war.”
“We want missiles for self-defense, not to attack other countries,” he added.
This came after Majedi signaled that Iran was open to easing its response to Israel if it rethinks its actions and agrees to a ceasefire.
The reformist newspaper Ham Mihan warned that if Harris is elected, the region, including Iran, could face more challenges, especially with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s aggressive policies.
The paper also pointed out that Biden’s administration failed to make significant progress in reaching a deal with Iran, blaming a lack of coordination and political weakness in his party.
The hardline Kayhan newspaper criticized Majedi’s comments about possibly negotiating with Trump, saying he had abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed tough conditions on negotiations.
In an interview with Shargh, Majedi said that Harris’s approach to the Middle East is more “humanitarian and flexible,” and predicted that a return of Trump could worsen tensions.
He also believed that under Harris, there might be a better chance for nuclear talks, as Biden had tried to revive the deal.
However, Majedi noted that Trump could act independently, unlike Harris, Obama, and Biden, who follow Democratic Party policies. This could mean Trump would take a different, more personal approach in dealing with Iran.
