WANA (Nov 16) – Iran, having navigated decades of challenges, no longer shapes its policies under American threats nor places undue significance on meetings of this nature. Iranian public opinion and the economic market have matured, responding to such news with pragmatism rather than emotional excitement.

 

Some experts argue that if Iran intends to engage in negotiations with Trump and his incoming administration, it must act within the next two months before Trump assumes office. The U.S. system operates in a way that many critical decisions and plans are formulated during this transitional period.

 

All indications suggest that the administration of Dr. Pezeshkian has no intention of escalating tensions or engaging in confrontation with the U.S. However, it also harbors no trust in Trump.

 

 

The extensive military aid provided by the U.S. to Israel, enabling the massacre of innocent women, children, and civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, has further complicated the state of Iran-U.S. relations.

 

Iran’s reformist faction, despite its historical affinity for the West and particularly the U.S., regards Trump as a “madman” with “psychological disorders” and views him as untrustworthy. They believe that Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) is partially responsible for their declining popularity domestically.

 

 

Nevertheless, both the Iranian government and its diplomatic apparatus, as well as the Iranian public, seek tangible opportunities to mend Tehran-Washington relations—not merely on paper but through concrete actions.

 

Details of the meeting and discussions between Elon Musk and Iran’s representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, remain unclear. Tehran has previously engaged in direct, high-level talks with U.S. officials, even at the ministerial level.

 

 

However, the core issue remains: the U.S. has never approached negotiations with Iran with the intent to improve relations. Instead, its goal has been to better understand Tehran’s leadership and inflict greater harm—something that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has long recognized. Consequently, Iran now refuses to engage in talks without securing immediate, tangible benefits, rejecting promises of future rewards.

 

Iranians understand that amidst rising global Muslim resentment toward the U.S. due to its direct support for atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, hastily normalizing relations with Washington would be ill-advised. More importantly, given the unreliability of Western leaders—who easily abandon formal commitments, as seen in past agreements—Iranian officials see little reason to trust the words or promises of figures like Elon Musk.