But the de facto ruler Ayatollah Khamenei does not trust the United States, regardless of who is in the White House. “The success of the negotiations on the nuclear deal is therefore not guaranteed in advance,” says Mohr. “The mistrust of each other is great and that has only worsened in recent years. It will take time to regain trust and build relationships.”
In addition, Mohr also notes that what Iranian citizens prefer to see Trump than Biden. “It’s not that they think Trump is so fantastic, but he did speak firmly against those in power. For many Iranians, he was the last hope to free them from the regime.”
Withdraw troops
During the election campaign four years ago, Trump pledged to withdraw all US troops from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. It earned him votes from Americans who were war-tired and prefer to see billions of dollars spent on defense spent on domestic needs. But it also damaged America’s reputation as a loyal ally in the region.
Four years later, there are still thousands of American soldiers in the Middle East. Biden, like Trump, wants to withdraw it, but less abruptly. He believes it should be done in a responsible manner. He also wants to keep some troops in the region to prevent terrorist groups from growing again.
Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Early this year, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Trump “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” President Trump has proven himself as a loyal ally in recent years.
He moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty in the occupied Golan Heights, and stopped donations to aid organizations for the Palestinians because the money would not be well spent. He also came up with a controversial peace plan in Israel’s favor and recently brokered diplomatic agreements between Israel and some Arab countries.
Prime Minister Netanyahu thus loses an important ally. On Twitter, he thanked Trump for his commitment to Israel and congratulated Biden on the win. He wrote that he has known the Democrat for nearly 40 years and that he knows he is a great friend of Israel. The question is whether Biden will indeed be as loyal as Trump.
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