Iran hopes for "realistic" U.S. approach under Trump administration

As Donald Trump is inaugurated for his second term as U.S. president, Iran expressed its hope that his administration would adopt a "realistic" approach toward the Middle East and show greater respect for the region’s nations.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei shared his country's expectations during a weekly press briefing, urging the U.S. to base its policies on international law and consider the interests of all countries in the region, including Iran.

Baqaei also criticised the outgoing Biden administration, particularly its support for Israel during the ongoing conflict with Hamas. He accused President Biden’s team of not taking meaningful steps to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, a move that significantly escalated tensions between the two nations.

During his first term, Trump’s "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran led to the U.S. pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iran began to scale back its compliance with the deal, and efforts to revive the agreement have faltered.

Baqaei also warned of Iran’s response should the U.N. reimpose sanctions under the JCPOA’s "snapback" mechanism. He emphasised that any abuse of this mechanism could lead to Iran exiting key international agreements, including the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran has recently engaged in discrete nuclear talks with Britain, Germany, and France, the three European powers known as the E3. While the talks were described as "frank and constructive," it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will rejoin the negotiations.