Iran International
The Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader and other top officials, with the exception of the President, have so far refrained from commenting on the outcome of the US presidential elections and its implications for Iran.
On Thursday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made no mention of the US elections in his first public speech following Donald Trump’s victory.
Instead, speaking to the members of the Experts Assembly, a council responsible for appointing his successor, he warned about the danger of “deviation” in revolutions, the current crisis in the Middle East, and promised Israel’s eventual defeat.
Khamenei repeatedly asserted in the past that the Islamic Republic would not engage in negotiations with the Trump administration. He also declined to respond to a message from Trump, delivered by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in June 2019.
Some observers suggest in the media that Khamenei may now recognize the need for direct negotiations and, as a result, could adopt a more cautious tone regarding the incoming US President. This shift may stem from Iran’s severe economic challenges, a frustrated population nearing a breaking point, and escalating tensions with Israel.
“[Ruhollah] Khomeini was just as insistent on continuing the war with Iraq, but he eventually had to accept the UN Resolution that ended the war,” Mehdi, an Iranian businessman in Tehran who voted for Pezeshkian in the hope that he may succeed in lifting the Trump-imposed sanctions told Iran International.
"But for now, he will likely maintain that nothing has changed, awaiting further details on Trump’s appointments for national security adviser, secretary of state, and Iran envoy," he added. "Their significant challenge remains the vow to avenge [Qassem] Soleimani’s death."
Khomeini referred to his acceptance of Resolution 598 to end the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in 1988 as drinking a “chalice of poison”. “Khamenei has to drink the poison, too,” Mehdi said.
President Masoud Pezeshkian briefly referred to the US elections in a meeting with his campaign members Thursday. “It will never make any difference to us who wins in the US elections because our country and system rely on our internal power and our proud and great nation.”
Nevertheless, Pezeshkian emphasized that, while his government prioritizes strengthening relations with Islamic and neighboring countries, it does not hold a "closed or limited outlook" on expanding ties with other nations.
Pezeshkian’s Strategic Affairs Deputy and former foreign minister, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, who led the US negotiations resulting in the 2015 nuclear deal, expressed hope in a tweet Thursday evening that the incoming Trump and J.D. Vance administration would “stand against war as pledged” and “heed the clear lesson given by the American electorate to end wars and prevent new ones.”
In his tweet, Zarif addressed Trump and Vance directly by tagging their accounts.
“Iran, having shown its resolve and ability to stand up to any aggression, will not be swayed by threats, but will be cognizant of respect,” he wrote without mentioning Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, the draconian sanctions that he consequently imposed on Iran, or prospects for direct talks with the US.
Quoting Khamenei’s statements about Trump, ultra-hardliners have sternly warned Zarif on social media in the past two days that he must get the thought of negotiating with “Soleimani’s murderer” out of his head.
While stressing that the Islamic Republic has had “profoundly bitter experiences” with various US administrations, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Thursday that the US elections presented an opportunity for “revisiting and revision of misguided previous approaches”.
“What is important to Iran, and an assessment criterion, is the conduct of the US government,” he added.
Sit-ins and strikes were seen across multiple cities protesting what nurses described as a government failure to address their demands to raise salaries, pay delayed wages, and improve working conditions.
The situation reflects years of unmet promises, with wage delays now stretching up to six months. One nurse from Kermanshah, speaking to Etemad newspaper, said that many colleagues have been forced to leave public healthcare for private sector jobs or to emigrate.
"There have been no improvements for us in the past three months," she said, highlighting that 18 of her 300 colleagues have left the hospital this year alone.
A video circulated on social media showed that nurses at Khomeini Hospital in Urmia held a protest on Thursday, with nurses chanting, "We've only heard promises; we've seen no action."
Mahmoud Amidi, a member of the Nurse House non-profit society, criticized security crackdowns saying some had been suspended for participating in protests or voicing concerns on social media.
"The actions taken against protesting nurses are unjust," he said, adding that such suspensions only worsen the existing nursing shortage.
Amidi said the impact of low pay and heavy workloads is having a ripple effect on the healthcare system, already at breaking point. “Who will stay in this profession for just 110 to 120 million rials ($150–$170) per month?”, he said, at least one third of Iranians already pushed below the poverty line.
The escalating protests come amid a reported shortage of 100,000 nurses across Iran’s health system, even as 50,000 trained nurses remain unemployed. Mohammad Sharifi-Moghaddam, Secretary-General of the Nursing House, warned that unless systemic issues are addressed, newly recruited nurses will likely leave the profession.
In recent months, healthcare staff have organized protests in nearly 50 cities, demanding changes to wages, workload, and working conditions. In August, a strike saw participation from nurses at 70 hospitals across Iran, a protest that lasted over a month. Since then, some 1,500 nurses have reportedly left their jobs, with 500 emigrating abroad.
As protests continue to spread across Iran’s hospitals, healthcare workers are pressing for concrete actions to address their demands. Representatives from the nursing community have warned that if conditions do not improve, strikes and other protests will likely intensify.
All stressed that the foundation for any governmental change in Iran rests in the hands of the Iranian people, not external powers.
Their reactions were collected through anonymous direct messages to Iran International via social media platforms.
Many Iranians opposed to the Islamic Republic have expressed hope on social media that Trump will reinstate his tough stance on the Islamic government, intensifying economic and other pressures that could weaken the ruling establishment—and possibly even lead to its overthrow.
Viewers refrained from revealing their identities, citing concerns over the Islamic Republic’s recent announcement criminalizing the sharing of images, text, or audio with foreign media. Under those directives, such actions could result in prison sentences ranging from one to ten years and could be classified as "moharebeh," or “waging war against God,” a charge that could carry the death penalty.
One person said Trump’s victory is "very helpful to the people of Iran, but ultimately, we are the ones who must overthrow the Islamic Republic; no government or country in the world prioritizes our interests over its own."
Another expressed that with Democrats leaving office, the pressure on the Iranian government might increase, potentially creating "an opportunity for the Iranian people to make a move." However, they warned the system may seek compromises to safeguard power, adding: "We could see another deal with Trump, which would not benefit the Iranian people."
While Trump's previous term saw him exit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and pursue a maximum pressure approach, a softer approach by the Biden administration led to increased oil revenues for the government.
Some Iran International viewers questioned the faith placed in Trump’s policies, noting that American leaders act in the interests of their own citizens. "Trump, Biden, etc., all think about their own people," one viewer remarked, challenging the assumption that Trump’s policies would favor Iran’s population.
Trump’s campaign also stressed his intent to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program, a stance that resonated with some viewers who voiced confidence in a US leader with a firm anti-Iranian government stance.
"We are certainly happy with Trump’s election; after all, he has an anti-cleric, anti-terrorism stance," one Iranian said, referencing Trump’s past order targeting Qasem Soleimani, a high-ranking Iranian commander.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, affirmed that Iran’s nuclear program would continue independently of US politics. “Our program is not affected by any comings and goings in the US,” he said.
As the dollar exchange rate climbed to over 710,000 rials in Iranian markets following Trump’s win, viewers’ opinions remained divided, with some seeing his return as a potential shift toward political upheaval in Iran, while others stressed the need for internally driven change.
The reaction among Iran International’s audience illustrates the complex spectrum of perspectives within the country, where political developments abroad intersect with deep-rooted aspirations for change — a change many believe only Iranians can ultimately achieve.