Iran, which was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984, celebrated the inauguration of President Joe Biden yesterday. Seemingly oblivious to the concept of irony, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called Donald Trump a “stupid terrorist” while expressing optimism that Biden would be a friendlier partner to the state sponsor of terror.
From the Western Journal:
In a statement reported by Iranian state media outlet PressTV, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Trump was a “stupid terrorist” and said he expected President Biden to erase “the black stains” of the Trump years.
Trump, of course, pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The subsequent sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy and Tehran has been violating the agreement by stockpiling enriched uranium — even though Rouhani insisted in his statement Wednesday that “the JCPOA is alive.” They just don’t follow it.
Iran also celebrated when the media declared Biden President-elect back in November.
Iranian newspapers today.
“Trump is done for”
“America’s new chapter”
“The murderer of Qassem Soleimani and the agent of maximum pressure was thrown away”
“America changed its mask”
“Populism is rejected”
“Victory cup in the hands of Joe Biden” pic.twitter.com/ONPQqbf0eR— Holly Dagres (@hdagres) November 8, 2020
Trump leaving the Obama administration’s nuclear deal wasn’t the only reason Iran was celebrating his departure, as Iran is still furious over Trump’s strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani:
Rouhani also used the occasion to blast Trump’s strike of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, one of the top-ranking figures in the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC is listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department, mostly because it’s the main organ by which Tehran sponsors international terrorism. As Breitbart noted, Soleimani is believed to be responsible for hundreds of American deaths through the years.
“Donald Trump, registered state terrorism on America’s official record by openly accepting responsibility for the assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in a third country,” Rouhani said of the strike. “We had [never before] seen a US president explicitly announcing that he had assassinated a senior military commander who was a guest in a third country.”
Rouhani went on to call Trump a “stupid terrorist,” who “violated international law and [US] obligations for four years.”
But Rouhani expressed a small degree of optimism that Iran could improve its relationship with America under a new president.
“If they [American statesmen] sincerely return to the law and show their honesty in practice, we will also fulfill our own commitments,” Rouhani said.
It may come as no surprise that Iran feels optimistic with Biden in charge, having played a role in former President Barack Obama’s negotiations that led to the nuclear deal to begin with.
Biden has signalled openness to rejoining the deal, but Iran has indicated they may seek even friendlier terms if the U.S. returns to the negotiating table.
If Biden does return to the table, it will be a major policy shift away from the “maximum pressure” campaign waged by Trump during the last four years. Not only did Trump pull out of the Obama-crafted deal, he also applied sanctions to the country that have severely crippled their economy.
The new reality means Biden may have a tougher time getting what he hopes out of negotiations.
“We can expect a Biden administration to attempt to put negotiations back on the table with Iran, but the main obstacle is that Iran itself may not be willing to negotiate,” said Ryan Bohl, an analyst for risk consulting firm Stratfor. “Not without notable U.S. concessions, which won’t be popular even with a Biden presidency.”
