The Iranians are calling on Trump to learn from the mistakes of his first term. “We have very bitter experiences with the policies and approaches of different US governments in the past,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Nov. 7, reported IRNA. Baghaei added that every new election provides opportunities for revisiting and reconsidering unjust and ill-suited approaches. “What matters for us is the US’s deeds,” he concluded.
In Tehran, former speaker of the parliament, Ali Larijani, described now as an advisor to Ali Khamenei, is cautioning against Iran being dragged into a full-scale war with Israel. “Israel has killed many people in Gaza but has not achieved any of its goals. ... In Lebanon, they [the Israelis] killed many people. But did they succeed in altering the course of the war? Now they want to drag Iran into this conflict. As our leadership says, we must not fall into their trap. ... An emotional reaction would be a mistake; the response should be strategic,” Larijani stated on IRIB TV, reported TASS. He also emphasized that the decision on responding to the October 26 Israeli strike rests with the Supreme National Security Council, adding that it is inappropriate for everyone to voice their opinion on the matter.
The adviser stated that Israel’s primary objective in the Gaza conflict was to forcibly relocate the entire Palestinian population from the enclave to neighboring countries. However, when Arab states recognized this plan, they refused to allow “turning this plot into reality.”
