Locked in Mideast wars and battered by sanctions, Iran is wary over US presidential election

America’s presidential election next week comes just after Iran marks the 45th anniversary of 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. For many, tensions between Tehran and Washingtons feel just as high as they did then. Iran remains locked into the Mideast wars roiling the region. The currency hovers near record lows against the dollar, battered by international sanctions. Women still openly defy Iran’s mandatory headscarf law after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. There’s a feel of fatalism on the streets of Tehran as Americans vote for either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. Many Iranians remain split on which candidate will be better for their country — if at all.