Iranians Are Very Happy That Trump Is the U.S. President

In the early morning of October 6, 2024, Trump delivered his victory speech. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

[Peopel News] Not long ago, I met an Iranian girl living overseas. During our conversation, we discussed U.S. President Trump. She was especially happy about Trump’s election and said that almost all Iranians were excited—except for Iranian government officials.

I asked her why. She said that Iranians, like many Chinese, hate their government and hope it collapses soon. They want to resist but have no weapons. Trump’s hardline policy toward Iran—especially the killing of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani—was welcomed by the Iranian people.

Iranians were even happier when Trump resumed his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran after returning to the White House in early February. This included a complete blockade of Iran’s oil exports and efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

On February 4, U.S. time, Trump signed a presidential memorandum before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, reiterating the U.S.’s hardline policies toward Iran from his first term. He also expressed a willingness to meet with Iranian leaders.

When signing the memorandum, Trump addressed assassination attempts led by Iran. In November last year, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed it had foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump just weeks before the U.S. presidential election began. Trump warned that any assassination attempt on him would be a "terrible thing," adding, "If they do it, they will be wiped out. That will be the end… nothing will be left."

Reportedly, Trump has instructed his advisors that if anything happens to him, Iran would be completely wiped out—specifically, its government and top military officials.

What sanctions did Trump impose on Iran during his first term, and what were the effects?

Firstly, in terms of oil: On April 22, 2019, the U.S. White House announced the end of exemptions from the Iranian oil export ban. All international buyers of Iranian oil were required to stop imports within a short period or face U.S. sanctions. The U.S. specifically warned five countries still importing Iranian oil—China, India, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea—that their exemptions would not be renewed after they expired on May 2. The U.S. aimed to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero.

During the six-month exemption period, Taiwan, Italy, and Greece stopped importing oil from Iran. Japan and South Korea, which relied less on Iranian oil, were not significantly affected when their exemptions ended. Consequently, the biggest impact fell on China. Data showed that China was Iran’s largest oil buyer, and Iran was China’s sixth-largest oil supplier.

However, during Biden’s presidency, China continued to import large amounts of oil from Iran. In May 2024, a report from the U.S. House Financial Services Committee revealed that 80% of Iran’s daily oil exports—around 1.5 million barrels—went to China. A Reuters report from October 2023 indicated that China’s oil purchases from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela hit a record high in the first nine months of 2023, saving China nearly $10 billion due to discounted prices.

Now that Trump has once again blocked Iran’s oil exports, both Iran and China are facing significant impacts. "Iran is part of a great geopolitical game between China and the U.S." If China continues to support Iran’s economy, it will be seen as challenging the U.S. and will face corresponding consequences.

Secondly, Military Deterrence: On January 3, 2020, the U.S. assassinated Qasem Soleimani. Iran immediately retaliated by launching 22 missiles at U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq in the early hours of January 8. Eighteen hours later, Trump delivered a speech conveying the following key messages to Iran and the world:

1. Iran would never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons during Trump’s presidency.

2. The missile attack caused no American casualties, and U.S. military bases only suffered minimal damage. The U.S. military was fully prepared, and Iran chose to step back. This was a positive outcome for all concerned parties and for global peace.

3. Trump explained the rationale for ordering the killing of the terrorist Soleimani and used the occasion to warn other terrorists: “If you value your life, do not threaten the lives of our people.”

4. The U.S. would impose additional economic sanctions on Iran until there was a change in its behavior.

5. Trump reiterated that Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and urged the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China to withdraw from the existing Iran nuclear deal and work with the U.S. to negotiate a new agreement that would promote Iran’s development and halt its terrorist activities.

6. The U.S.’s strong economy and military were the best deterrents. Specifically, the U.S. had achieved energy independence and no longer relied on Middle Eastern oil. The U.S.’s elimination of ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was a testament to its military strength.

7. Trump addressed Iranian leaders and the Iranian people, stating that the U.S. hoped Iran would have “a future—a great future of domestic prosperity and international harmony, one that you deserve. The U.S. is ready to embrace all peace-loving people.”

Trump’s speech, aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Middle East, was prompted by Iran contacting the Trump administration through at least three channels after the missile attack, including Switzerland and other countries. Reports indicated that Iran’s message was clear: the missile attack would be Iran’s “only response” to Soleimani’s assassination, and they would wait to see what the U.S. would do next.

After confirming that there were no American casualties, Trump made the final decision to respond with sanctions rather than escalating the conflict further. This led to Trump’s balanced speech of both toughness and restraint.

Without a doubt, Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy on Iran relied primarily on economic measures, though limited military force was not ruled out when necessary.

If Trump’s first-term policy faced challenges that allowed loopholes for China and Iran to exploit, will Trump 2.0 repeat the same mistakes? Clearly, Trump’s maximum pressure on Iran also serves as a warning to China and North Korea. Who’s to say Trump won’t target all three “Axis of Evil” countries within these four years? At that point, Chinese, Iranian, and North Korean citizens might all cheer with joy. 

(First published by People News)