Locked in Mideast wars and battered by sanctions, Iran is wary over US presidential election

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — America’s statesmanlike predetermination adjacent week comes conscionable aft Iran marks nan 45th day of the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis — and for many, tensions betwixt Tehran and Washington consciousness conscionable arsenic precocious arsenic they did then.

Iran remains locked successful the Mideast wars roiling nan region, pinch its friends — militant groups and fighters of its self-described “Axis of Resistance” — battered arsenic Israel presses its warfare successful nan Gaza Strip targeting Hamas and its penetration of Lebanon amid devastating attacks against Hezbollah. At nan aforesaid time, Iran still appears to beryllium assessing harm from Israel’s strikes connected nan Islamic Republic past Saturday successful consequence to 2 Iranian ballistic rocket attacks.

Iran’s currency, nan rial, hovers adjacent grounds lows against nan dollar, battered by world sanctions complete Tehran’s atomic programme of enriching uranium person than ever to weapons-grade levels.

In nationalist spaces, women still openly defy Iran’s mandatory rule connected nan headscarf, aliases hijab, a consequence of nan wide demonstrations complete the 2022 decease of Mahsa Amini that still haunts nan country.

That has near a consciousness of fatalism among immoderate connected nan streets of nan capital, Tehran, arsenic Americans formed ballots for either Vice President Kamala Harris aliases erstwhile President Donald Trump. Many are divided connected which campaigner would beryllium amended for their state — if astatine all.

“All U.S presidents elected aft nan (1979) gyration had nan aforesaid views astir Iran and I deliberation that’s improbable to change,” said Sadegh Rabbani, 65.

Harris and Trump person offered hard-line views connected Iran, making Iranians wary

Both candidates person either undertaken aliases expressed reliable stances connected Iran.

In 2018, Trump unilaterally pulled America retired of Tehran’s atomic woody pinch world powers, mounting disconnected years of attacks crossed nan Middle East moreover earlier Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel. Trump has been briefed connected Iranian land to retaliate against him, arsenic good complete his determination to motorboat a 2020 drone onslaught that killed Iran’s apical general, Qassem Soleimani, successful Baghdad.

Harris, meanwhile, vowed astatine nan September statesmanlike statement that she would ever “give Israel nan expertise to take sides itself, successful peculiar arsenic it relates to Iran and immoderate threat that Iran and its proxies airs to Israel.”

For its part, nan Biden management did effort indirect negotiations pinch Iran complete its atomic programme that produced nary tangible results, though it did scope one captive switch woody that saw 5 Americans detained for years successful Iran locomotion free successful September 2023.

In an outdoor coffeeshop successful downtown Tehran, celebrated among nan youth, 22-year-old Zahra Rezaei said she preferred a Harris win.

“We saw Trump successful nan past and he conscionable ran an anti-Iran policy,” Rezaei told The Associated Press. “It is clip for a female ... I deliberation she (Harris) will amended since she is not aft war.”

Ebrahim Shiri, a 28-year-old postgraduate governmental sciences student, agreed.

“I deliberation Harris knows nan world better,” he said. “She and (Joe) Biden convinced Israel not to onslaught Iran’s atomic facilities. This mean moving toward peace.”

Others judge Trump, pinch his promises of dealmaking, mightiness beryllium a amended fit.

“I do not cognize what nan American group think, but Trump is capable to get a speedy woody pinch Iran,“ said Mohammad Ali Raoufi, 43, who runs a double-glazed model workshop. “The Biden management including Harris grounded to scope immoderate (deal) pinch Iran complete nan past years erstwhile they were successful power.”

Reza Ghaemi, a 31-year-old taxi driver, besides suggested Trump whitethorn lessen tensions successful nan region since he pushed to retreat U.S. troops from nan Mideast during his word successful office.

Iran’s authorities wants sanctions gone and hopes for different atomic deal

Many declined to speak to nan AP connected camera — Iran has only state-run tv and power stations, truthful group are suspicious of reporters pinch video cameras moving openly connected nan street. A female stepping by instantly tightened her antecedently loose headscarf aft seeing nan camera.

Those who did speak to nan AP mostly expressed worries astir a nonstop United States-Iran warfare — particularly if Trump wins.

While saying he wants Trump to triumph “for my ain reasons,” 53-year-old Ahmad Moradi claimed that would make a U.S.-Iran warfare “100%” judge to happen.

A female who only gave her sanction arsenic Mahnaz, fearing repercussions for speaking openly, suggested that Harris, arsenic a woman, couldn’t scope immoderate deals pinch Iran because “men tin talk to men.”

“I deliberation if Trump is elected, it will beryllium overmuch harder for our kids. Of people it doesn’t matter which 1 is elected, it’s already reliable for us,” said Fariba Oodi.

“We nan Iranian group are trapped successful immoderate governmental game. And our kids are paying a value for that,” she added. “But I still deliberation if it’s Trump, it will beryllium much difficult, particularly for my boy who is simply a student and plans to apply” to study successful America.

Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, elected aft a chopper clang killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi successful May, came to powerfulness connected a committedness to scope a woody to easiness Western sanctions.

Iranian officials support that separating atomic negotiations from Mideast wars is possible, moreover arsenic the U.S. has accused Iran of meddling successful nan November election, which Tehran denies.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokeswoman for Pezeshkian’s administration, said Tehran wants to spot a alteration successful U.S. policies and a respect for nan “national sovereignty of different countries.” It besides wants Washington to “avoid tension-making activities arsenic we witnessed successful caller years,” she said.

Analysts, however, spot a difficult roadworthy up for immoderate imaginable U.S.-Iran talks, nary matter who wins adjacent Tuesday.

“The talks will beryllium a warfare of attrition,” Ali Soufi told nan pro-reform Shargh newspaper. Saeed Nourmohammadi, different analyst, suggested specified talks “are improbable to beryllium fruitful.”

But ultimately, immoderate determination rests pinch Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“You know, Khamenei has seen 8 U.S. presidents” travel and go, said Abbas Ghasemi, a 67-year-old retired coach “He knows really to woody pinch nan adjacent one.”

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Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.