Special to WorldTribune.com
Even though it won a slew of concessions from President Barack Obama in nuclear negotiations, Iran’s government claims it prefers a Republican in this year’s presidential election.
“According to Iranian authorities, dealing with Republicans is much easier. The amount and complexity of the pressures forced on Iran in the term of George W. Bush was considerably less than those of Obama’s government,” says Abass Qaidaari, director of the defense and security studies at the office of the Iranian president.
“Put another way, simplicity and black and white worldview of the Republicans are mostly a benefit to Iran; while tricky presidents such as Barack Obama have thus far cost expensively for Iran’s foreign policy and economy,” adds Qaidaari.
While Teheran sees GOP front-runner Donald Trump as being “plagued by simplicity” on foreign policy, Qaidaari says that Iran’s leaders believe Trump’s unconventional approach could eventually lead to positive relations with Iran.
“Even some Iranians claim that he (Trump) could be more negotiable.”
On the Democratic side, Amir Khaleghiyan, a researcher at the Iranian Institute for Social and Cultural Studies said Iranians may lean more toward Bernie Sander because of his views on the nuclear deal, the Syrian civil war, Israel and Palestinian, and Iraq. He is the only candidate who has strongly stressed the idea of cooperating with Teheran to deal with regional issues.
As for Hillary Clinton, Iran is turned off by the influence on her of Arabic-Jewish lobbyists. Teheran sees her approach to foreign policy and especially Iran as “colored by uncertainty.”
“Whatever the result of the American presidential election will be, Teheran is firm in stabilizing its standing in the region and the world. As Teheran sees it, the American president is no longer a figure whose executive order could threaten Teheran’s interests,” adds Qaidaari.
Still, the Middle East has progressed in a way that today, Teheran and Washington have common interests.
“The candidate aware of this fact who is willing to use a win-win foreign policy in relation to Teheran (just as President Hassan Rouhani has suggested to the international community), would be most welcomed by Teheran,” Qaidaari said.
Iran’s regime says it prefers dealing with Trump rather than Hillary, ‘tricky’ Obama added by Editor One on
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