TEHRAN – The former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps appeared on Tuesday pessimistic toward the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, IRNA reported. 

“I am not optimistic, but we have to wait and see what he will do in practice in the incoming months and year,” said Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi on the sidelines of the International Conference on Geopolitical Crises in the Islamic World. 

Rahim Safavi pointed out that it is still premature to “judge Mr. Trump’s policies, because he may change his mind about his campaign remarks.”

The overall impression is that Trump will pursue an economic agenda rather than practice an expansionist policy, the military veteran said.

“He’s a businessman and pays more attention to the economy and America’s internal affairs,” he noted.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in an unpredictable landslide last week, becoming the 45th president of the United States.

President-elect Trump may be a threat to the nuclear deal reached between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., in July 2015. 

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is formally known, Iran is committed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

During his campaign trail, he had said he would “rip up” the international nuclear agreement with Iran after calling it "the stupidest deal of all time.”

However, he later changed his mind and said he would “renegotiate” the deal in order to make changes to it.

MH/AK