Recently, the assassination of a renowned nuclear scientist from Iran sparked massive controversy, and now Biden has to assume his duties as the next president to prevent a worldwide crisis.
On Nov. 27, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in broad daylight as he was traveling in a vehicle near Tehran. Currently, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has blamed Israel and an exiled opposition group for the attack. Israel and Iran are actively engaged in battle, as Iran wishes for the Jewish state to be dissolved but the former has no plans on being defeated. Israel, to prevent their own downfall, is trying to weaken Iran’s influence, and one way it can achieve that is by stopping its opponent’s nuclear program. Consequently, Israel has a past that involves the killings of many Iranian nuclear scientists, and the new addition of Fahkrizadeh’s death is just a continuation of another one of their infamous routines. Nevertheless, Israel is not alone. During Trump’s term as President, he has made countless malevolent remarks against Iran, most of which included threats of military bombing and physical altercations. All in all, America and Israel are definitely both on Iran’s “bad side.”
Some people believe that the death of a scientist does not have a significant effect on Iran. However, Fakhrizadeh was one of the eldest senior officials in the Islamic Republic’s military program before it was disbanded. He also led the country’s nuclear program for more than 20 years. One can only assume how the people of Iran feel after the loss of such an accomplished individual.
Regarding President Biden, Fakhrizadeh’s death could potentially have a negative impact on resettling American relations with Tehran. Especially after President Trump ordered the U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in January, relations between the United States and Iran are only becoming more antipathetic by the second. Now, no one knows how this will play out between the two feuding countries.
In addition to the aforementioned, rumors say that Biden is interested in renegotiating another nuclear agreement with Iran. As the upcoming president, he is tasked with the responsibility of leading the American people towards a prosperous and secure future. Hence, if Biden is able to successfully come at a consensus with Iran, the latter would once again be limited from cultivating a certain amount of enriched uranium, leaving America and the rest of the world in safer hands.
However, if Biden fails in establishing this relation, Iran would continue to be able to stockpile as much uranium as they desire. This could lead to a worldwide catastrophe, as Iran would be able to utilize the uranium for nuclear weapons and annihilate hundreds of foreign nations. As a result, people are looking forward to seeing whether or not Biden’s newfound presidency will be enough of a difference from Trump’s to coerce Iran into a trade deal. Previously, Trump was the one who backed out on the Iran Nuclear Agreement in 2018, so it is bound to be difficult to reinstitute another deal as America was the country that broke off the contract in the past. Yet, his hostility towards Iran extended much further beyond a simple broken agreement. During the duration of Trump’s presidency, countless threats have been exchanged between him and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. After Trump ordered the killing of Qasem Soleimani, secret intelligence agencies from both countries have been plotting to vanquish each other. Within these past couple of years, the values of America have undergone many tumultuous changes, and this is just one of the many times that the two nations have clashed with one another.
Moreover, it is difficult to perceive how America could have been unaware of Fakhrizadeh’s assassination. It is reported that after Trump lost the election, he called for strike options on Iran’s military bases. Most of his advisers opposed the idea, but Trump is not a person to consider other people’s opinions. Trump is a totalitarian dictator that only cares about himself. If Trump indeed played a role in the killing of the nuclear scientist, plans to reconcile with Iran will evaporate into thin air.
Furthermore, questions regarding the effectiveness of Iran’s national policies have been raised by the public. Top Iranian officials have often been assassinated in the past, and the lack of security that exists within the country to prevent these accidents from occurring is troubling. If Iran is unable to do something as simple as protecting its people from such abominable acts, how can they be trusted to manage the stability of their country? How can they be deemed competent enough to run their government and provide the best they can for their citizens? Entering a nuclear agreement would bring everyone a step closer to world peace, and future catastrophes, like a third global war, would likely be avoided. The tip of the iceberg of Iran’s long list of misconducts is only beginning to be scraped— the Islamic Republic, with a record of holding foreign individuals hostage for unproven offenses, seems to finally be held accountable for their actions. In 2018, innocent university lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert was jailed in Iran due to an assumption that she was spying for Israeli. With no evidence to support this, the Iranian government still stole a portion of Moore’s life and left her suffering in prison for two years. Iran’s evident injustice towards people demonstrates their failure to rule as a country that is fair and equitable. This only complicates Biden’s plan for reapproaching Iran, as the Middle-Eastern country is now unmasked as a formidable powerhouse that can commit heinous, unpredictable acts at any given moment.
All in all, the unprecedented death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh left a mark on both Iran and the rest of the world. Iran, with the loss of one of its most accomplished officials in the nuclear field, will ensure that its reconciliation with America will be nothing but a faraway dream. Arriving at a second nuclear agreement is a difficult feat, and the waters of both nations will need to be tested in order to properly carry out the deal. Realistically speaking, Biden has a long way to go if he wants to make amends and start anew with the Middle-Eastern nation. Thankfully, all of America is on his side, and everyone will patiently wait for Biden’s next move as the upcoming president does everything in his power to guarantee the safety of this country.
