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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has remained unusually silent on the current US presidential election, despite having commented on nearly every past race over his 35-year tenure, frequently condemning the US political system.
Khamenei’s silence is particularly striking given that Donald Trump—a former president who withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and imposed “maximum pressure” sanctions, nearly bankrupting the Islamic Republic and pushing it to the brink of collapse—is once again a strong candidate.
At this juncture, Khamenei is in an unprecedentedly weak position. Over the past year, Iran’s economic crisis has worsened, with the currency now worth just 1/10,000th of its value under the monarchy. His strongest regional proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have been significantly weakened. Israel has dared to launch an air strike with impunity and there is no end in sight to US sanctions.
Khamenei’s analysis of US elections through the novels of John Steinbeck and Howard Fast
Since Khamenei became Supreme Leader in 1989, the US has held eight presidential elections. Drawing on novels he has read, Khamenei has condemned the US for suppressing leftist groups and has repeatedly labeled both Democratic and Republican presidents as “fools” and “clowns.”
Screenshot from a video showing Khamenei during his selection as Supreme Leader in 1989.The first US presidential election during Khamenei’s leadership took place in November 1992, though he made no specific comments on it.
The second election, in November 1996, pitted Democrat Bill Clinton against Republican Bob Dole. During the campaign, Khamenei met with Iranian media leaders, where he sharply criticized American democracy. Referencing his favorite leftist author, Howard Fast, Khamenei analyzed the US elections. Drawing on Fast’s novels, likely The Immigrants, he condemned what he called the repression of leftists, socialists, and communists in the US, stating, “Some of his novels have been translated into Persian—read them to see the shocking accounts about leftists!”
In the same meeting, he encouraged attendees to read John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, saying, “Read it to understand that the so-called center of democracy, praised by those with bad taste in Iran, couldn’t even tolerate leftists, as they believed Marxism challenged the American capitalist system.”
A month after the election, on December 6, 1996, Khamenei again discussed US elections with students, citing a leftist American author, probably Howard Fast, to analyze the election process.
The next US election during Khamenei’s leadership was on November 7, 2000, which saw George W. Bush win. By this time, Khamenei had shifted his approach, remarking in May 2000, “I’m not quoting any fanatical Muslim writer; I’m quoting Westerners themselves. I prefer not to name authors, but American writers explain how elections for city councils, Congress, and the presidency operate. Anyone observing it will see that public opinion has nearly no role.”
An iconic photo of Khamenei following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, with many suggesting it reflects his fear.In July, he again addressed US elections in a meeting with officials, noting he had told President Mohammad Khatami that “in Western democracies, a group comes to the ballot boxes and votes as the party directs, and that’s the end of it!” He continued, “Here [in the Islamic Republic], people love their officials; it’s not just a voting relationship.”
In September 2000, speaking with Basij students, Khamenei referenced American books he’d read, saying, “Read these American books on media roles and the nature of elections—see how city and governor elections operate. When it comes to presidential and congressional elections, money plays the main role, while people are sidelined; there’s no true democracy.”
In December 2000, Khamenei addressed those upset with his criticism of American democracy: “These aren’t our words, nor are they biased or uninformed. They’re based on Western literature’s prominent figures who acknowledge it—yes, in public, they claim people’s votes count, but in reality, they don’t.”
In the early 2000s, as Khamenei ramped up his attacks on US democracy, he was tightening his grip on Iranian politics, media, and elections, increasing the focus on ideological and political loyalty and bolstering the influence of hardliners.
From accusing Americans of racism to critiquing Occupy Wall Street
In his 2012 Nowruz speech, Khamenei referenced Obama’s 2008 election: “The current US president came in with a message of change, implying the situation was so bad it required change.” Calling Americans “racist,” he said, “They didn’t want to vote for a Black man but did, hoping for change.”
Referring to the Occupy Wall Street movement, Khamenei said, “The Occupy Wall Street movement started in US cities. Is this a good situation? It’s simple math. Americans accepted change, meaning the situation is bad, but nothing has improved. America is struggling.”
A week before the election, he again discussed US politics with students, saying, “Isn’t it disgraceful that presidential candidates try to please Zionists and prove their loyalty? Each tries to show more obedience to the Jewish and Zionist communities, which have trapped them.”
Khamenei’s consistent view on US political parties
The next US election took place on November 8, 2016, with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the main candidates. Khamenei had already weighed in on the upcoming election in his 2016 Nowruz speech, remarking, “In a few months, the US will change its administration, but there’s no guarantee the next one will honor past commitments. The candidates are competing in anti-Iran rhetoric.”
On May 14, 2016, he responded to Trump’s campaign threats to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, stating, “We won’t violate the agreement, but if they tear it up, we’ll burn it.”
Two weeks before the election, Khamenei commented on the US debates: “Look at their presidential election; it’s down to two people. Watch their debates and how they treat each other! One of these two will become president.”
After Trump’s victory, Khamenei remarked, “America is America; neither party has ever benefited us. We don’t mourn or celebrate.”
Khamenei’s last notable comment on US elections came on November 20, 2022, when he told citizens in Isfahan, “Since the revolution, every US president has fought us. Some have vanished into history’s trash heap, while others are still alive. From Carter, Clinton, and Obama to Reagan, Bush, and the ‘previous fool’—and now this ‘dazed and confused fellow’ who claims he’ll save Iran.”
