Iran; at the heart of hot debates of US presidential nominees

This was the issue both sides focused on according to the policies their respective parties have adopted towards the Iranian nuclear challenge.

The opinions put forward by the two participants about the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers contained many points some of which are noteworthy:
- Both candidates, though belonging to opposing parties, revealed identical views as to the issue of anti-Iran sanctions. Expressing seemingly contrasting views, the two practically endorsed sanctions as effective tools against Iran. Donald Trump believed the sanctions were so effective that it almost paralyzed Iran and put the system on verge of collapse while the Democrat policies towards Iran, he stressed, have added to its power and credibility both in regional and international scopes. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton stressed her point that it was the “sanctions” which pushed Iran to sitting for negotiations. She insisted on highlighting her role in this as the main designer of anti-Iran sanctions.

- Moreover, the views offered by the extremist Republic candidate during the presidential debate significantly varied from the ones advocated by him in previous nights. Trump had already said he would tear apart the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) once he set foot in the White House as the next US president. Now, having realized the significance of the document and knowing that the JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement between just the US and Iran but rather involved a number of other world powers who are still committed to it, tended to modify his views, sufficing himself with merely criticizing it. This came partly due to Iran’s harsh response to Trump’s earlier remarks. Iran has said it would set the document in fire if ever Trump attempted to tear it.

- The interesting part both candidates’ remarks came when the two stressed that they believed in similar policies against Iran; they said they were determined to continue with anti-Iran pressures as a top priority of their would-be and supposed administration. This in itself discloses the US long-term strategies to keep up hostility against Iran. Therefore, Iran has to confront these policies by reinforcing its internal capabilities and fortifying its domestic sources of power.
Auther: Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, former Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson