Iranians for Trump’ Movement Forms in Response to Biden-Harris Policies Toward Tehran

The most-liked Persian-language tweet of all time comes from former President Donald Trump, not the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

On January 11, 2020, Trump expressed his condolences in Farsi to the “brave and suffering people of Iran” after Iranian forces shot down Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after takeoff from Tehran, resulting in the deaths of all 176 people aboard. This tweet received over 277,000 likes and coincided with widespread protests in Iran against the regime’s actions.

In the wake of that incident, Trump pledged his support to the Iranian people, stating, “I have stood with you since the beginning of my presidency, and my government will continue to stand with you.” Since then, many Iranian-Americans have praised Trump for his understanding of their plight and his tough stance against Tehran’s leadership.

As the U.S. presidential election approaches, a new movement called Iranians for Trump was launched in early September to advocate for Trump’s return to the White House. Co-founder Sarah Raviani explained that the movement was created to provide a voice for the Iranian diaspora, which historically lacked a unified political coalition.

به مردم شجاع و رنج کشیده ایران: من از ابتدای دوره ریاست جمهوریم با شما ایستاده‌ام و دولت من همچنان با شما خواهد ایستاد. ما اعتراضات شما را از نزدیک دنبال می کنیم. شجاعت شما الهام بخش است.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2020

Many Iranians who fled after the 1979 Islamic Revolution have been politically inactive or aligned with the Democratic Party, but Trump’s first term attracted some to the GOP.

“We support President Trump because he holds the Iranian regime accountable,” Raviani stated, noting that Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, which involved imposing severe sanctions and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organisation, resonated with many Iranian-Americans. The policy aimed to curb the regime’s influence and military spending.

Trump also ordered a drone strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a pivotal figure in the regime’s military strategy. This aggressive approach has drawn support from members of Iranians for Trump, like Farnaz Murcray, who emphasised the need for safety and prosperity in America.

Executions in Iran, the regime’s military spending and its nuclear weapons advancement program all increased during the Obama administration, critics argued. AP

Critics of the current administration, including Murcray, argue that the Democratic Party’s “appeasement policies” have weakened U.S. standing against the Iranian regime. Co-founder Nasim Behrouz claimed that President Biden and Vice President Harris do not fully grasp the realities of the Iranian government, pointing to the failed policies of previous Democratic administrations that attempted to engage with Iran.

Recent findings from the National Union for Democracy in Iran suggest that aggressive policies, rather than restraint, are necessary to address the Iranian regime. Executions and military spending in Iran have surged during the Biden administration, highlighting the perceived failures of current policies.

Critics believe the Biden-Harris Administration has continued Obama’s concessions and negotiation policy. REUTERS

As the November 5 presidential elections approach, Raviani expressed concerns that a Harris-led administration could lead to damaging concessions to Tehran.

She specifically criticised Philip Gordon, Harris’s national security advisor, for advocating negotiations with the regime, labelling it as appeasement.

Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was seen as the second-most influential person in Iran after the ayatollah, was killed by a drone strike during Trump’s time in the White House. ISNA/AFP via Getty Images

A potential return of Trump to the White House could signify a resumption of stricter sanctions on Iran, a prospect that the regime appears keen to avoid.

Recent reports indicate Tehran’s attempts to hack the Trump campaign and plots against the former president, underscoring the high stakes involved.

Nasim Behrouz, co-founder and Persian-language spokesperson for “Iranians for Trump”, said that “the Biden administration’s Iran policy has failed spectacularly.” Iranians for Trump

“We support President Trump because he holds the Iranian regime accountable”, said Sarah Raviani, co-founder and English-language spokesperson of Iranians for Trump. Iranians for Trump

Jonathan Harounoff, author of the upcoming book “Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomanLifeFreedom Revolt,” noted the complexity of these unfolding events in the context of Iranian-American politics and the looming 2024 election.