The Evolution of US Policy towards Iran and the Iranian Nuclear Program

Abstract

This is a study on the evolution of the US approach towards Iran and its nuclear program. Following an overview of the troubled US-Iranian relationship since the Islamic Revolution, the study zooms in on the domestic and international influences that drove President Barack Obama’s administration to pursue a multilateral deal with Iran over its nuclear program. It then presents the main provisions of the JCPOA- “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”- that emerged following lengthy and difficult negotiations between Obama’s administration, the governments of other major powers and the Iranian authorities. The thesis then turns to the abrupt shift in American policy towards Iran during Donald Trump’s administration that unilaterally withdrew the “United States” from the JCPOA and reintroduced a wide series of sanctions on Iran with the aim of strong-arming it back to the negotiating table but under new terms that also addressed Iran’s growing ballistic capabilities and its regional role. The thesis finally addresses the likelihood of the United States pursuing a more conciliatory approach towards Iran under the newly elected Democrat President Joe Biden.