The last time Donald J. Trump was in office, the consequences for the Islamic Republic of Iran were disastrous.
As president, Mr. Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal that had begun to reduce sanctions in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear capacity. He added 1,500 sanctions, including on Iran’s oil sales and banking sectors, debilitating the Iranian economy. And he ordered the assassination of a revered Iranian military leader, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, who had been designated as a terrorist by the United States.
Regardless, as Mr. Trump runs for a second term, some Iranians say he might be a better option for them than Kamala Harris — or at least no worse.
“Since he wants to be the one to ‘Make American Great Again’ and he sees himself as a man of negotiation,” said Farhad, 34, an English tutor for college students, “maybe he will negotiate.” Like several other people interviewed for this article Farhan asked that only his first name be used.
In more than 20 conversations with people in Tehran over the past week, the U.S. election and its outcome loomed large for the majority, with many speculating about what the differences between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump might mean for Iran. The conversations were held in the presence of a government interpreter.
Most saw Ms. Harris as someone who would continue the policies of the Biden administration, and Mr. Trump as someone who would make changes and might be the better of two bad choices, even though he has been an enthusiastic backer of Israel, Iran’s self-declared enemy.
The New York Times
