Iran’s Regime Ties Its Fate to U.S. Elections, Not the People’s Desire

Since the coup d’état of August 15-19, 1953, the impact of the U.S. election results on Iran’s political sovereignty has become a tradition. During these 67 years, every government, including those under the Shah and clerical rule, has kept an eye on the outcome of the American elections. On the other hand, the results of this election have had a direct and indirect effect on the policymaking of Iranian rulers. 

For the past month, as the U.S. election day approaches, Iran’s propaganda machine has been taking two approaches by regime officials and the media. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, and other decision-makers claim the outcome of this important election ineffective in the regime’s policies. 

On the other hand, during the political rivalries, the state media provide points to the internal reality of the system and reveal the reality behind the scenes of the sovereignty and the Islamic Republic with the news, analysis, and interpretations. 

Khamenei and his previous heads of government have looked to the U.S. election results more than any other period in the last 30 years and have made every effort to lobby for the benefit of the regime. The best evidence of this fact is the change in U.S. policy over the past four years towards the clerical regime, which blocked the long-standing appeasement to this regime. 

Thus, the cyclical governments of the Islamic Republic, from the first Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini to Khamenei, have been most attentive to the outcome of the U.S. election, contrary to the hollow and fake anti-American slogans, which have only internal use for the regime.  

The Islamic Republic has also enjoyed the most appeasement and assistance from the governments of the United States, especially in Iraq and Syria. And the price of this policy has been paid by the people and their vanguard resistance. 

Suffice it to say that the U.S. and Europe have for years turned a blind eye to the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, the rampant atrocities of the 1980s, and the massacre of Iranian insurgents from 2009 to 2019. 

For years, they turned a blind eye to the criminal interventions of the regime in Iraq and Syria. For the past four decades, all of this has been aligned with the outcome of the U.S. election from the perspective of the mullahs’ regime, and decisions have been made about them. 

Now, no matter how much Khamenei, Rouhani, government spokesman and agents, make the demagogic in their propaganda that the outcome of the U.S. election makes no difference to them, we must be more certain that all aspects of the system, from Khamenei to political experts and their lobbies are mobilized for this transformation and its consequences. 

The story of the U.S. election and its effects is so entrenched in the regime that even this result is considered a prelude to the 2021 presidential election and has been held accountable, pay attention: 

“Some on both sides have linked the outcome of the US election to the state of Iran’s presidential election in the spring of 2021. The issue of US elections has received too much attention among politicians, which is more than enough,” wrote the state-run Aftab-e-Yazd daily on 29 October.

This outlet tried to warn Khamenei and Rouhani and the experts and officials of the regime that they should not be so immersed in the American elections and care a little about the people, that if they fall victim to the regime’s policy toward the U.S. election, they will definitely ruin the outcome of the 2021 election of the regime: 

“The main challenge in the country’s political scene today is the expectations of the people, who should receive priority to foreign events. The challenge is a loss of public trust in the authorities. This is an issue that, if no solution is found, we will see the lowest turnout in 2021,” Aftab-e-Yazd continued.

The state-run Arman daily also warned of such an atmosphere in its October 29 edition. “Society is in an overt and covert abandonment. Given the upcoming 2021 presidential election, if the current practice does not change, the low turnout in the 2021 election will be a fatal blow! So, the danger is lurking,” the daily wrote.

Khamenei and Rouhani, if not for the inevitable political restrictions and diplomatic protocols, are ready to set up a votive table for Donald Trump’s defeat and Joe Biden’s election. Khamenei and Rouhani’s fantasies and visions about the outcome of the U.S. elections and their activities in this field are so obvious that the Aftab-e-Yazd was forced to warn the regime’s officials: 

“Contrary to popular belief, US foreign policy strategies follow fixed principles; However, in some cases, there are differences in the method. For example, the idea that if the Democrats win, it will have a positive effect on the situation in Iran is not very logical; Because, except for a temporary period in the presidency of Barack Obama, the Democrats have always been a source of pressure on Tehran, and in other words, we do not see a difference in macro approaches,” Aftab-e-Yazd concluded.