Negotiating with US has some ifs, buts
Trump will not underwrite Netanyahu
The Trump administration has officially started working, and now it remains to be seen what foreign policies Donald Trump will pursue, especially in the Middle East, and how the relations between Iran and the US will be shaped. Although Donald Trump’s inauguration address at the US Capitol contained a series of populist slogans, it seemed to be more mature compared to his first-term inauguration speech. The absence of radical figures, such as Mike Pompeo, in his cabinet has elevated the relative rationality of Trump’s team this time around. The presence of Elon Musk, the American billionaire and the world’s richest man, in his cabinet sends the message that the US wants to stay away from international tensions.
By Hassan Hanizadeh
Mideast affairs expert
Trump, having experienced a term as president, has realized that he made many mistakes in his first term, including withdrawing from the JCPOA, which was done under the influence of Zionist lobbies and pressures from Pompeo. It seems that Trump wants to make up for some of his past mistakes.
Now, there is a possibility of establishing a dialogue between Iran and the US within the framework of the JCPOA, provided that the US returns to the JCPOA and abandons its aggressive policies against Iran and the Resistance Axis.
One of the important points in the current Trump administration is the absence of Pompeo. He had a strong affinity for Zionist figures and was actually the one who shaped the foreign policy of the Trump administration in the first term. The absence of Pompeo in the Trump administration indicates that Trump wants to focus more on solving America’s domestic problems.
On the other hand, Trump will not underwrite Netanyahu’s risks because he believes that during the Biden era, the US incurred huge costs because of Israel. He believes that the US was taken advantage of in the Middle East and therefore will probably not unconditionally surrender to Israel’s demands.
Regarding the stance of various domestic forces on negotiating with the US, it should be noted that pursuing our national interest and regional peace are the overall policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Any group that wants to move against this policy has not considered the national interest and has not served Iran. Now, all domestic forces must see in which direction the establishment’s policy is moving and what the national interest requires.
If the West and the US treat Iran respectfully and reduce pressure on Iran and the Resistance Axis, negotiating with them can lead to securing our national interests under certain conditions. However, it is natural that if the new US administration wants to pursue aggressive policies against Iran, negotiating with such a government will be of no benefit.
The article first appeared in Farsi on Farda News.