Iran Does Not Rule Out Communication with Trump to Preserve Its Interests

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Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mahjoubani said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic would pursue everything that ensures its “interests,” in response to a question about the possibility of direct talks with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, as reported by the Iranian Students News Agency.

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This position indicates that Iran does not rule out contact with Trump’s administration, despite Trump’s firm stance towards Tehran, particularly regarding its nuclear program, along with Iranian criticisms of the Republican leader.

During his first term, the elected U.S. president had decided to tighten sanctions on Iran after his unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018, imposing stringent sanctions on Tehran, especially targeting the energy sector to bring its oil production to zero.

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Trump also authorized the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport in 2020, an act to which Tehran vowed to respond through legal means, though the Americans accused Iranian intelligence of threatening the Republican candidate’s life during his campaign to prevent his re-election.

Last week, U.S. judicial authorities announced charges against an “Iranian agent” accused of receiving orders from Tehran to orchestrate assassination plans in the United States, specifically targeting Donald Trump and an Iranian-American dissident. Iran has denied these allegations, calling on the president-elect to change his maximum pressure policy against it.

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On July 13, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by an armed man who had climbed a building amid the crowd gathered at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting in his direction as he was delivering a speech.

The incident ended with a minor injury to Trump’s ear, while security personnel opened fire on the assailant.

He also narrowly escaped a second assassination attempt last September in Florida when security agents spotted an armed individual near his golf course.

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During his campaign, Trump continued to launch severe attacks on Iran, accusing it of attempting to assassinate him and threatening regional and international security, which was seen as a sign of further escalation. However, the president-elect stated after his victory that he does not seek to harm the Iranian people.

The statement by the Iranian official comes amid concerns expressed by Ali Larijani, adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, regarding an Iranian response to recent Israeli strikes without considering the consequences, in light of the rise of Republicans hostile to Tehran.

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Last month, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, as well as the assassination of Lebanese Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and commanders of the Revolutionary Guard.

The Israeli army responded by launching strikes on several military bases without targeting nuclear and oil facilities, due to pressures from outgoing President Donald Trump.

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On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged the elected U.S. president to confront Iran’s nuclear threats, while radical Iranian lawmakers urged their country to conduct a nuclear test to deter external threats.