Iranian presidential candidates united on one thing: Trump’s return

During the Iranian presidential campaign, a recurring theme dominated debates, rallies and speeches: the long-awaited return of Donald J. Trump.

The six presidential candidates have repeatedly suggested that Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election is inevitable. The central question for Iranian voters as they head to the polls on Friday is which candidate is best equipped to handle a Trump presidency.

Interestingly, President Biden is barely mentioned and the numerous polls indicating a close US election are ignored. Instead, Trump’s name is invoked frequently.

“Wait and see what happens when Trump comes,” said Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a cleric and candidate, in a recent televised debate. “We need to prepare for negotiations.” Alireza Zakani, the mayor of Tehran, accused his rivals of being “Trump-phobic” in a debate, saying only he could handle the situation effectively.

Pourmohammadi’s campaign posters depict him confronting Trump, with the caption: “The person who can stand in front of Trump is me.”

Iranians have legitimate reasons to be wary of another Trump presidency. Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, despite U.N. inspectors confirming Iran’s compliance. Biden has attempted to revive the deal, but has been unsuccessful.

Trump also imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran, targeting its oil revenues and international banking transactions. These sanctions have continued under Biden, contributing to Iran’s economic woes, including a free-falling currency and skyrocketing inflation.

Analysts note that Trump’s potential comeback underscores the importance of foreign policy in the election. All six candidates — five conservatives and one reformist — acknowledge that economic support is closely tied to Tehran’s international relations.

“The potential return of the Trump administration has become a bogeyman in presidential debates,” said Vali Nasr, a former Obama administration official and professor at Johns Hopkins University.

“Extremists argue that their persistence will tame Trump, while moderates and reformists believe Trump will respond to the extremists with more pressure on Iran, suggesting they are in a better position to change the dialogue with the United States,” he added.

Concerns about Trump’s return have been present in Iranian political circles since before the special presidential election, which will be held to replace President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. The Foreign Ministry set up an informal working group in the spring to prepare for Trump’s potential return, according to two Iranian officials.

Iran has engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States several times this year, through Oman and Qatar, to exchange prisoners and ease regional tensions. Discussions about returning to the nuclear deal have involved both the Trump and Biden administrations.

The officials, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said that if Trump is reelected, Iran would continue indirect negotiations but not meet with him directly. They weighed whether it might be wiser to wait and negotiate with Trump rather than reach a deal with Biden, only to see it overturned by a future Republican president.

Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the conservative speaker of the Iranian parliament and favorite in the presidential race, commented: “When we are faced with an enemy like Trump who does not behave with integrity, we must be calculative in our behavior.” Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stressed that restoring the nuclear deal and reducing sanctions are his top priorities. He warned that failure to make timely decisions could force Iran to capitulate to Trump or create internal tensions.

Trump has consistently said that his policy of maximum pressure on Iran was intended to force concessions on its nuclear program, not regime change. He defended the policy last week in a virtual interview with the All In podcast.

“I would have made a fair deal with Iran; I would have gone along with Iran,” Trump said. He said his primary goal was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “I had them at a point where you could negotiate,” he added, a claim disputed by analysts. “A child could have made a deal with them.”

In Iran’s theocratic system, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has the final say on major state issues, including U.S. negotiations and nuclear policy. However, the president sets the domestic agenda and influences foreign policy.

There is concern among voters about Trump, said a campaign staffer for reform candidate Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, who requested anonymity. The staffer said voters have reached out to him on social media to ask about Pezeshkian’s plans to counter Trump.

Dr. Pezeshkian has made former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who helped secure the 2015 nuclear deal, the face of his foreign policy. However, his advisers have said he would choose Abbas Araghchi, Zarif’s deputy and a member of the 2015 negotiating team, as his foreign minister.