For Some Political Observers in Iran, There Is a Bright Side to Trump
Despite Donald Trump’s fiery rhetoric against Iran since the very beginning of his electoral campaign, a number of well-known analysts in Iran have argued that his remarks should not be taken at face value, and Trump is in fact the best option Iran could hope to come out of ballot boxes in 2016 US presidential elections. With exponential level of disclosure against Trump by liberal American media, the main source of Iranian media’s information on and interpretation of politics in the United States, and the controversies engulfing him in the recent weeks, such pro-Trump voices in Iran have become significantly weaker, nonetheless, not recanted. We have provided a tabulated list of such remarks on why Trump is a better option for Iran, or what they see as good and beneficial to Iran in Trump.
Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, Former member of Majlis Foreign Policy Committee:
“What candidates say during electoral campaigns differs from what they would say afterwards if elected … Trump is trying to excite [his supporters for now].”
“Iran is a fighter in the region. For Iran, it is better to deal with a fighter. Don’t forget that Trump knows the basics of business and is a man of trade. He can deal with Iran better.”
“Democrats always send positive signals, but their behavior towards Iran is more dangerous.”
- June 19th, 2016
Ebrahim Mottaghi, Tehran Univerity lecturer and foreign policy analyst:
“I’m not optimistic about Hillary. She is totally Arab-oriented and Israel-oriented.”
“The more [Trump] behaves irrationally, the more it serves our interests, and the more he acts rationally and follows [US rules of] bureaucracy, the more it is in their own interest. Just as Reagan’s presidential term, Trump’s presidency could be a respite for us.”
- August 16th, 2016
Fouad Izadi, Tehran University lecturer and foreign policy analyst (Principlist):
“Trump’s comments about Iran [’s burgeoning power] are completely true, and show how we managed to take effective steps in the recent years despite sanctions.”
“There is no doubt that Trump’s victory in presidential elections is better for Iran compared to Clinton’s. Anti-Iran faces and neo-cons are major supporters of Hillary, and that is against our interests.”
“Clinton’s victory means continuation of Obama’s anti-Iran policies and it will not be in the interest of the Middle East.”
- May 8th, 2016
Hossein Daheshyar, Allameh Tabatabaei University lecturer and foreign policy analyst:
“Lack of an ideology in Trump, and his business-oriented mind pushes him towards trade-off in the Middle East. If you have something for trade, you can step in and do the deal, but if you do not have anything for a deal, then you are a loser.”
“Regardless of whether he is better or worse for Iran, Trump has no ideology-driven urge to pressure us like what Hillary Clinton would probably do … his background and characteristics are such that he would not pursue war or tension, and will seek a deal [instead].”
- May 2nd, 2016
Nasser Hadian, Tehran University lecturer and political analyst:
“The difference between Hillary and Trump is that Trump will have problems in leading a smart war against us. If we play it right, Trump cannot do that … Trump will have no international legitimacy and the EU will not back him.”
“[Forces willing to put Iran in a strategic dead-end] have mostly gathered around Hillary Clinton. They want to impose tougher sanctions.”
- September 13, 2016
Saeed Jafari, Deputy Editor of Khabar Online’s International Desk:
“[With Trump’s presidency] United States cannot forge an international consensus [against Iran] … Middle East will benefit the most from this, since Europe will create its own strategy to deal with challenges [in the region].”
“In that case, Europe will definitely not follow US in pressurizing Iran on issues that have minor benefits for the European Union.”
“Simply put, the minimum outcome of Donald Trump’s ascension to the presidential seat is that Europe will not see itself fully aligned with the US as before.”
- May 10, 2016