In a renewed attack on Donald Trump, Hassan Rouhani described the outgoing US President as a “madman” and equated him with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The Iranian president’s provocative remarks come ahead of Trump’s White House exit after one term in office, which saw a colossal rise in regional tension in the face of the US’s aggressive policies in the Middle East.
Rouhani called both Trump and Hussein, who launched a devastating war against Iran in the 1980s, mentally unstable. Saddam Hussein was captured by US forces after the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq and hanged to death in a Baghdad prison 14 years ago.
With Trump’s exit, the Islamic Republic hopes to normalise diplomatic ties with the US under the incoming Biden administration. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the nation would fully implement the 2015 nuclear deal if US President-elect Joe Biden lifts all sanctions on Iran. Zarif’s remarks came after Biden reaffirmed his stance on Middle East foreign policies and said his administration would lift sanctions if Iran returned to “strict compliance with the nuclear deal.”
