A year after the commander of Iran's elite troops was killed by the U.S. military, a memorial rally was held in front of the commander's grave, and many citizens mourned the death and blamed the United States. ..
In January last year, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Soleimani was killed by U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq, while Iran attacked U.S. military bases with ballistic missiles, raising concerns about a full-scale military clash at one point. it was done.
A year after the killing, a memorial rally was held in front of a tomb in Kerman Province, southeast of the commander's hometown, on the 2nd in Iran, where many citizens put their foreheads on the tombstones and killed them. I mourned and prayed.
Visitors said, "The commander is in my heart. I want to carry on my will." "The hatred for America has definitely deepened. There will be intense retaliation in the future." I did.
After visiting the grave, former Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Rezai told reporters, "We will not allow the United States to act. Our retaliation is to drive the United States out of the region." He insisted that he should drive withdrawal from the Middle East.
However, while there is a deep-seated distrust of the United States among the Iranian people, there are voices requesting improvement of relations and lifting of sanctions due to the severe economic situation caused by US sanctions, and Biden has indicated that he will return to the Iran nuclear agreement. The focus will be on how bilateral relations will change after the administration takes office this month.
Background of the conflict
Since taking office, the Trump administration in the United States has consistently increased pressure on hostile Iran.
The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew in 2018, criticizing the content of the "nuclear agreement" that the former Obama administration had signed with France and China for the purpose of limiting Iran's nuclear development.
After that, the economic sanctions that had been lifted in return for Iran were resumed, and a policy of economic isolation was taken, such as imposing a total embargo on Iranian crude oil.
Companies in Europe and elsewhere are refraining from doing business with Iran for fear of US sanctions, and the Iranian economy is facing unprecedented predicament.
As a result, Iran has strengthened its uranium enrichment activities by breaking the promise of the nuclear agreement as a countermeasure, and the agreement has become dysfunctional.
Under these circumstances, in January last year, the United States killed Commander Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was regarded as a hero in Iran, mainly by conservatives, in neighboring Iraq.
In response, Iran attacked an American military base in Iraq with ballistic missiles in retaliation, raising concerns about a full-scale military clash at one point.
The two countries are still in a tense relationship, with the US embassy in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, being attacked by rockets last month and President Trump claiming Iran's involvement.
Iran's economy on the brink
The Iranian economy has deteriorated since the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement and resumed economic sanctions in 2018, and has recently become even more serious with the spread of the new coronavirus.
According to the IMF = International Monetary Fund, Iran's economic growth rate was 3.7% in 2017 before the US withdrawal from the agreement, but after that it turned to negative growth and is projected to be -5% in 2020.
U.S. sanctions have made it almost impossible for Iran to export crude oil, which accounted for 30% of the country's revenues, and banned remittances between banks with foreign countries.
Under these circumstances, the local currency Real has continued to crash, and its value against the dollar is less than one-sixth that of four years before the Trump administration was inaugurated.
Along with this, the inflation rate has exceeded 30% and the prices of all products, mainly imported products, have risen, and in the capital Tehran, rents have risen three or four times in a few years, which is hurting citizens' lives.
While there is persistent dissatisfaction among the Iranian people about the United States, which continues to sanction, some say that relations should be sought to recover the needy economy.
A man who runs a supermarket in Tehran said, "The store has been running poorly in the last few years. Prices have risen but income has not increased, and some are asking for a moratorium on payments. Sanctions have been resolved. I hope that the influence of Corona will also be mitigated. "
A man who runs a trading company said, "In the last four years, I have been unable to send money, so the project has been canceled many times. I have cut half of the employees' contracts. I want to lift the sanctions." Was there.
Biden's new administration against Iran
President-elect Biden said in a statement to CNN last September about the Trump administration's hard-line policy toward Iran that Iran has stepped up its nuclear development in response to US pressure policy, causing the situation to worsen. I criticize it.
After that, he said, "If Iran adheres to the nuclear agreement again, the United States will join the nuclear agreement again as a starting point for subsequent negotiations." He showed a positive attitude toward returning to the agreement and reviewed the Trump administration's policy toward Iran. I'm ready.
In Iran, on the other hand, the moderate Rouhani administration wants to maintain the nuclear deal and elicit sanctions relief from the United States, but a presidential election is scheduled for June, and conservative hardliners who are critical of the deal are candidates. Is also expected to run.
It is expected that the next administration of Biden will be forced to make important decisions on Iran policy within a limited time.
Israel, which is hostile to Iran, is wary of the retreat of the siege against Iran, which has been strengthened under the Trump administration, and Biden's next administration will be with Iran based on the intentions of pro-American families in the Middle East. It is likely that we will be forced to steer the difficult process of proceeding with discussions.
The international community is paying close attention to whether President-elect Biden, who was involved in the conclusion of the nuclear agreement as Vice President of the Obama administration, will ease tensions with Iran and return to the nuclear agreement.