Iran's Pezeshkian says Tehran indifferent to US election result

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the result of the U.S. election did not matter to his country, state media reported on Thursday, amid heightened tensions with Washington over its support for Iran's arch-enemy, Israel.

Donald Trump's return to the White House following his election victory this week could mean tougher enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions against Iran, which he initiated in 2018 after quitting a nuclear pact between Tehran and global powers.

The Biden administration has strongly supported Israel in its wars against the Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Israeli actions against Iran itself.

Some analysts believe Trump will give Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a greater free hand in dealing with Iran.

"To us it does not matter at all who has won the American election, because our country and system relies on its inner strength and a great and honourable nation," Pezeshkian said late on Wednesday, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.

It was his first comment on Trump's election victory.

"We will not be close-minded in developing our relations with other countries (while) we have made it our priority to develop relations with Islamic and neighboring countries," Pezeshkian said.

It was not immediately clear if Pezeshkian was also referring to the United States, with which Iran does not have diplomatic relations. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, has banned holding any direct talks with the United States.

An Iranian government spokesperson earlier played down, opens new tab the importance of the U.S. election, while a Revolutionary Guards commander voiced readiness for confrontation.

The Iranian leaders' main concern is the potential for Trump to empower Netanyahu to strike Iran's nuclear sites, conduct assassinations and reimpose his "maximum pressure" policy through heightened sanctions on the country's oil industry.

Some, however, suspect Trump will be cautious about the possibility of war.

In 2018, the then-Trump administration exited Iran's 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to violate the pact's nuclear limits.

International sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program forced Tehran to reach the 2015 pact under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for lifting the punitive measures.

Trump's tough stance could force Ayatollah Khamenei to approve talks "whether direct or indirect" with the United States, two Iranian officials have told Reuters.

In September, Pezeshkian said Tehran was ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West, which accuses it of seeking capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom Editing by Peter Graff and Angus MacSwan