Iran reportedly delivered a surprising message to the U.S. last month — it would no longer try to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.
For years, U.S. intelligence has found that Iran has plotted against Trump’s life, partially out of revenge for Trump’s assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. U.S. officials cautioned Iran through backchannels in the months prior to the election that any attempt to kill Trump would be considered an act of war.
Iran, through similar channels, told the Biden administration on Oct. 14 that it would not do so, the officials told the WSJ.
Iran’s message could reflect its potential new strategy of reaching out to the U.S. and the West, especially with another Trump term looming. Trump approached Iran harshly in his first term, withdrawing from the country’s favored nuclear deal, imposing harsh sanctions to cripple its economy and eventually drone-striking Soleimani while he was in Iraq in 2020.
Trump in recent weeks said that he would be open to approaching Iran differently in his next term, noting that he wished no ill for the country but warning that it could not obtain a nuclear weapon. The international community at large has become increasingly worried that Iran is working to build such a weapon and now has enough enriched fissile material to create one in a matter of weeks, if it desired.
While the nuclear problem remains a chief concern, Iran is starting to signal it would be open to negotiating and working diplomatically with Trump, according to five Iranian officials who spoke to The New York Times this week. Trump is known for his deal-making abilities, which could be helpful to Iran, and has vowed to quickly end the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, something the officials said would be a favorable outcome.
Plus, the recent election of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — described as more moderate than his hardline predecessor — may have better odds at working with Trump. Pezeshkian has promised that he would restore Iran’s failing economy by working to get sanctions against the country lifted.
Still, ultimate decisions are made by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the official with the highest authority in Iran.
Whether Iran’s message to the Biden administration can be trusted is questionable, as it would represent a major shift in the regime’s thinking. On several occasions since 2020, Iran has worked through various actors to try and kill Trump on American soil. As recently as last week, the Department of Justice charged three individuals for their involvement in a plot to kill Trump and other enemies of the regime.
A diplomatic approach might work better with Trump, “but no one should be kidding themselves on how hard a deal would be to achieve on even just the nuclear issue given where Iran’s program is and the history of the [Iran nuclear deal],” Richard Nephew, former U.S. official, told the WSJ.
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