IN TRUMP 2.0, WHAT NEXT FOR IRAN?

The US claim, Trump's assassination attempt by Iran, was dismissed by Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, who termed the allegation as a 'repulsive' scheme by Israel and Iran's opposition abroad to 'complicate relations between America and Iran'.

- AKANSHA SINHA

Donald Trump's reelection as the 47th President of the United States has created a new wave of apprehension and potential shifts in global power dynamics, increasing uncertainties worldwide. As countries around the globe prepare for this transition of power in the United States, Iran braces for the impact, especially given its history of confrontations with the U.S. and Trump's hardline stance on terrorism, economic issues, and Iran's nuclear ambitions, which have constantly strained relations between the two nations.

An assassination attempt on Donald Trump just before the elections has not helped matters, as the US authorities have linked the same to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The US claim was dismissed by Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, who termed the allegation as a "repulsive" scheme by Israel and Iran's opposition abroad to "complicate relations between America and Iran." Additionally, Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, while denying the allegation of any Iranian involvement in the plot to assassinate Mr Trump, called instead for confidence-building measures between the two adversaries. He also reiterated that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

Iran has long been engaged in a proxy conflict with Israel, supporting groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas, both of which have entered into open conflict with Israel, a close ally of the United States. The U.S. formally severed its ties with Iran following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which led to the exile of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Pahlavi, who had come to power with U.S. backing, had maintained a stable and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States.