Trump: The Islamic Republic is now treating us with much more respect

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, pointed to the Islamic Republic and its leaders, stating that "they are treating us with much more respect now than before." The U.S. President made this remark on Thursday, July 21, at the end of a NATO summit in Brussels while speaking to reporters. Although there was no direct reference to signs of "greater respect" from the Iranian government towards the U.S., Mr. Trump has previously mentioned instances of changed behavior from the Islamic Republic. A few days earlier, in a tweet quoting the U.S. Navy, he noted that the number of Iranian provocations against U.S. warships, which had been reported dozens of times between 2015 and 2017, had dropped to zero in 2018. Mr. Trump also stated in mid-June this year that the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA had caused a change in the Islamic Republic's behavior in the region; "They no longer pay much attention to the Mediterranean. They are less focused on what is happening in Syria or Yemen and many other places. They have become a completely different country in the last three months." The U.S. President emphasized that "Iran is no longer like it was a few months ago. Their leaders have changed, and I hope they will come to a point where they will sit down with us to negotiate and reach an agreement that is good for them, for us, and for everyone." On Sunday, Trump also responded to a question from a BBC Persian reporter, stating: "I know they have many problems now, and their economy is collapsing. But let me tell you this: the time will come when they will call me and say, 'Let's make a deal.' They are suffering a lot right now." The European NATO members participated in a meeting with Donald Trump in Brussels starting Wednesday, July 20, and Trump made this comment after the conclusion of the summit. The deteriorating economic situation in Iran, worsened by the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the recent widespread social protests, has posed a serious challenge to the government of Hassan Rouhani specifically and the Islamic Republic more generally. Recently, over a hundred political and civil activists inside and outside Iran issued a statement calling for "direct and unconditional negotiations" between Iran and the U.S., referencing the "global" welcome for the U.S. President's meeting with the North Korean leader and the "dangerous situation in the region." This action provoked a strong reaction from Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric, and several Friday prayer leaders, who labeled the signatories of this statement as examples of "betraying the homeland," "working for the U.S.," and "treason." Following this, Behrouz Bonyadi, a member of the Hope faction in Parliament, severely criticized the foreign and regional policies of the Islamic Republic on July 6, questioning why Iran, which needs "60 billion dollars" in annual investment, should spend national wealth without gaining secondary economic benefits elsewhere, instead of prioritizing national interests and eradicating poverty, unemployment, and hunger. In response to these remarks, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized on July 9 during a student event organized by the Revolutionary Guards, the "advice from some to surrender to the enemy," stating that some say, "Let’s surrender so that the enemy's cunning does not continue." The U.S. has repeatedly called for a "change in behavior" from the Islamic Republic regarding its internal and regional policies. In this context, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, recently stated in an interview with Voice of America that the new strategy regarding Iran is not regime change but changing the behavior of its leaders. Pompeo said, "We do not want much from Iran's leadership. We just want them to behave like normal leaders. Do not loot your people; do not waste your people's money on these adventures in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and elsewhere." He emphasized that if Iran does not change its behavior, the U.S. will impose "the toughest sanctions in history" against Iran. These demands align with the diplomatic "roadmap" presented by the Trump administration regarding Iran. A senior U.S. official previously stated that the goal of this roadmap is to pressure Tehran to return to the negotiating table.