After Multiple Failed Assassination Attempts, Iran Reportedly Considers New Approach to Trump — Diplomacy
Officials in Iran are considering negotiating and reconciling with incoming President Donald Trump instead of acting adversarially as they have previously been, according to The New York Times.
Iran has long held disdain for Trump, having conducted cyberwarfare operations against his presidential campaign and working through various individuals to try to assassinate him in recent years. Now that Trump has locked in a second term, some Iranian officials are questioning whether it is now the best way forward to deal with Trump diplomatically, according to five officials who spoke to NYT. That sentiment is being shared in Iranian media and among former officials.
“Do not lose this historic opportunity for change in Iran-U.S. relations,” Hamid Aboutalebi, former political adviser to Iran’s government and established politician, wrote in an op-ed, urging Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to congratulate Trump on his presidential win, according to NYT.
To search for diplomatic solutions with Trump would represent a major shift in Tehran’s thinking. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, reimposed strict sanctions and assassinated its top general, Qasem Soleimani, in 2020.
In response, Iran has been targeting Trump and openly calling for violence against him. Even as recently as Friday, U.S. officials said that three individuals had been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump, one of many such ploys that have been orchestrated or linked to Iran. (Read more from “After Multiple Failed Assassination Attempts, Iran Reportedly Considers New Approach to Trump — Diplomacy” HERE)
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