https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54798608
As the US presidential election approached, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei clarified that no matter what the outcome, it will have no effect on Tehran’s policy towards Washington. This statement comes after increased tensions between the two countries regarding the US sanctions implemented after their withdrawal from the Nuclear Deal. The issues between the two countries increased this past January when President Trump ordered a drone strike killing Iranian Commander Qasem Soliemani. Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at Iraqi military bases in which US forces were located. In the speech given by the Iranian Supreme Leader, he expressed that the US governmental shift would have no effect on their policy. In an interview with CBS, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that no negotiations for a new nuclear deal would be made if Biden were to win the election. Though he did mention that “behavior is what counts”.
I think that this statement from Iran is slightly disappointing for the relations between the two countries. I would have thought that a change in leadership may have a positive impact on their current relationship as many issues occurred under President Trump. The status between the two hopefully will brighten as President-Elect Biden takes office and may make an effort to mend the relationship. However, as the Vice President under former President Obama, Biden was involved in the bombing of the middle east that occured during their two terms. This reaction to the then potential, now actual outcome of the US presidential election is different to many other countries which have expressed their increased ease as the transition from Trump to Biden finalizes. Though Iran doesn’t claim it will have any impact on the current situation, hopefully a change in leadership will be enough to initiate some positive relations between Iran and the US.
In terms of levels of analysis, on the global level this conflict is quite simple and understandable. Nuclear war is a military fear in which the world is quite inexperienced with the exception of the end of WWII. As conflicts arise all the powers of the world are cautious not possibly start a nuclear war. On the interstate level, Iran’s location in the Middle East has subjected them to lots of conflict and violence leading them to want an advantage to intimidate their neighbors. In this case, they chose nuclear weapon development. On the State level, the US and many other countries began to fear Iranian nuclear expansion leading to the 2015 Nuclear Deal. With US withdrawal and sanctions, tensions between the two countries became increasingly present and isolated. On the individual level, US President Trump was responsible for much of the escalation of the conflict. It is interesting that with the end Trump’s term in sight, the Iranian Supreme Leader and Foreign Minister would both be opposed to an attempt at improved relations. It raises the question, are Iranian-US relations salavable or is the only plausible end to the conflict through violence?