Iran says will focus on 'actions' of new US administration

TEHRAN: Iran's foreign ministry said Monday it will focus on the "actions" of the new US administration rather than who wins the White House, a day before Americans vote.

"Our position is clear: we do not look at (what happens) tomorrow, we will be watching the approach of the new US administration, whichever party it's from," ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters.

"More than the result of the election, we will pay attention to the actions" of whoever is president, he added.

Since unilaterally withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran and world powers in 2018, the Republican administration of President Donald Trump has re-imposed -- and extended -- crippling sanctions on Iran.

Trump's Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, has said he wants to use the 2015 nuclear accord -- a pact hammered out when he was vice president under Barack Obama -- as a "starting-point for follow-on negotiations" with Tehran.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said they favour no specific candidate in the race, while also calling for a return to the nuclear accord, the lifting of sanctions and compensation for damages caused.

"What is clear is that both parties have realised the extent of the failure of their policies" regarding Iran, Khatibzadeh added, referring to the Republican and Democratic parties, and emphasising that the "framework for talks" is the nuclear deal.

Iran's chief justice Ebrahim Raisi on Monday slammed any attempt to tie "the country's markets and economy to who is going to be the president on the other side of the world."

"America's arrogant nature does not change with Republicans or Democrats" being in power, he was quoted as saying by the judiciary's news agency Mizan Online.

Raisi added that "the message of the Iranian people's fight against the US ... is distrust of the US."

US intelligence last month accused both Iran and Russia of trying to interfere in the 2020 election, charges which Tehran has strongly denied.

Tehran "has repeatedly stated that it neither has any interest in interfering in the US election nor does it think interference would be to anyone's benefit," Khatibzadeh said, calling US allegations "baseless."

"The US election has turned into a show, and as in a show, they try to create more attractions," he added.