Iran responded with ridicule to the announcement of Joe Biden as the projected president-elect, but reports suggest that Iran ultimately sees the loss of President Trump as a positive one.
After media outlets projected him to win the 2020 U.S. presidential election, many world leaders congratulated Biden, but Iran stood strong in its criticism of a nation with which it has had a tumultuous relationship.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used the moment to issue a statement that made it clear that any way the outcome went, Khamenei has no love for America.
He declared the process "an example of the ugly face of liberal democracy" by calling the election a "spectacle."
"One thing is absolutely clear irrespective of the outcome," Khamenei wrote. "The US regime's definitely political, civil, & moral decline."
According to Reuters, Iranian Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri spoke more diplomatically.
Following Biden's projected victory, state media quoted Jahangiri as saying he hopes for a change in "destructive U.S. policies."
"I hope that we will see a shift in the United States' destructive policies, a return to the rule of law and international obligations and respect for nations," Jahangiri allegedly said.
Other statements by Iranian advisers show that the administration ultimately sees the election defeat of Trump as a positive one.
Presidential advisor Hesameddin Ashena tweeted that, in subsequent tweets, "the Iranians stood until the coward left," making it clear that "coward" refers to Trump.
"In the effort to remain unbowed", Athena described "national efforts and Islamic zeal," and warned that "if Biden comes, we also tell him that testing the tested is a mistake."
"Tehran sees the defeat of Trump as a vindication of its policy of resistance. "This will have devastating consequences for those who believe that post-Trump Iran diplomacy will be cheap or easy," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Washington think-tank FDD, told Reuters.
The victory of Biden could lead to renewed discussions between the U.S. and Iran, bringing back long-discussed topics, including Iran's nuclear program, to the table.
