Are you Trump? Author: Gouya Roshan

Are you Trump? 

They ask mockingly: “Who do you think you are, Trump, to decide the future of our country?”

At first glance, this question may seem simple, but behind it lie years of experience, bitterness, distrust, and the exhaustion of a nation from the power games of global forces.

For many people in Iran, the foreign policies of the United States—regardless of who has been in the White House—have often not been seen as a sign of concern for the people, but rather as part of a larger power game; a game in which the fate of nations sometimes becomes a tool of political pressure. In such an atmosphere, when a politician on the other side of the world speaks about the future of Iran, it is natural that part of society reacts with skepticism, and even ridicule.

From the perspective of many Iranians, the fate of a country is not something that can be determined through tweets, speeches, or the decisions of a foreign politician. Iran’s history is full of periods in which its people, even under the harshest conditions, have tried to shape their own destiny with their own hands. This historical experience has made sensitivity toward foreign interference—whether real or symbolic—extremely high.

Meanwhile, sometimes scenes appear in certain cities outside Iran: small gatherings chanting slogans or cheering for the policies of a foreign power. Yet many people inside Iran do not consider these voices to represent them. In their view, these limited groups, however loud they may be, cannot speak for a nation that faces far more complex realities inside the country.

The truth is that Iranian society is diverse and full of different perspectives. Some people may welcome external pressure as a catalyst for political change; others may see it as a threat to the country’s stability and independence. But one shared feeling exists among a large part of society: that the future of Iran must ultimately be shaped by Iranians themselves.

That is why that sarcastic question is sometimes heard among the people:
“Who do you think you are, Trump?”

This question is not directed only at one individual; rather, it is in fact addressed to any foreign power that assumes it can determine the fate of a nation from the outside. For many Iranians, even if there are deep disagreements within the country, one principle still stands: the destiny of Iran must be decided inside Iran and by its own people