Hossein Ta’eb, who serves as a top advisor to the IRGC chief, said on Sunday that Trump’s focus will be on China if he re-enters the White House, adding that his second major foreign policy agenda will be to end the war in Ukraine.
“Thus, the desired scenario for China is that a Democrat takes over as (US) president while the Russians prefer a Republican to win,” said Ta’eb while addressing a meeting in Tehran.
The cleric, who served for 12 years as head of IRGC’s intelligence unit until 2021, admitted that Trump’s re-election may toughen US restrictions on Iran for a short period.
However, he said that Iran has already emerged as a major regional power and a prominent anti-hegemonic force in the world, adding that insisting on anti-Iran policies will definitely harm the US in the long-run.
Commenting on the prospects of Iran’s new government led by Masoud Pezeshkian, the IRGC official said the new president and his policy will be different than a moderate government that ruled the country from 2013 to 2021 and favored closer interaction with the US.
Ta’eb said that Pezeshkian has clearly distanced himself from the notion that better relations with the US means better relations with the rest of the world.
He said that Iran had achieved major economic breakthroughs under President Ebrahim Raeisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May a year before finishing a four-year term, and despite a harsh regime of US sanctions.
The official said that Iran had significantly increased its oil production and its agricultural output while lowering its hard currency spending on imports during Raeisi’s time as president.
MA/Press TV