Top presidential aide calls to end US interference on Iran's foreign policy

Iran's Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif criticized US influence on the country's foreign policy, calling it an obstacle that must be removed.

Speaking at a conference titled Prospects of Regional and Global Developments in the Trump Era in Tehran, Zarif said, "I do not view the United States as an opportunity for Iran's foreign policy; I see it as an obstacle."

The event, hosted by the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies (IRAS), brought together diplomats and analysts to examine the challenges posed by Trump-era policies.

Zarif argued that US President Donald Trump's focus on reviving hard power through economic pressure—such as tariffs and visa restrictions—was emblematic of his administration's approach to global dominance.

He added that Trump divided countries into "smaller nations that must show loyalty and peer nations that do not." This dynamic, he suggested, “weakened the notion of stable alliances, replacing them with temporary, issue-based coalitions."

For decades, Iran has labeled the US its enemy, citing a history of sanctions, intervention, and regime-change attempts. The two nations broke diplomatic ties in 1980.

Trump’s maximum pressure campaign marked a peak in hostility, with severe sanctions targeting Iran's economy. Yet Tehran claims to have withstood these efforts, portraying its survival as a defeat of Washington's regional ambitions.

Zarif also addressed perceptions of Iran’s weakened state, refuting that it posed a greater nuclear threat. "They argue that military action is the only way to stop Iran," he said, but added that Trump’s flexibility might leave room for negotiations.

He said that based on Trump's recent statements, the new US president's mind is subject to change.

"Trump does not have a solidified perspective in this area, and depending on the circumstances he finds himself in at any given moment, he is willing to adjust some of his paradigms," he added.