U.S.-Iran Negotiations: A Guide for the Perplexed

By: Gilead Sher, Daniel Cohen

The United States and Iran are currently locked into an increasingly dangerous conflict in the search for regional and global leverage. While both nations are incentivized to avoid war, there is still a significant risk of violent escalation, especially given the unpredictability of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. 

Tensions between Washington and Tehran are nothing new. Since the 1979 Revolution overthrew U.S.-backed Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Republic of Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have waged a campaign to shift the balance of power in the Middle East. After the exposure of Iranian nuclear facilities in 2002 and the election of hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, the Bush administration, in coordination with the UN and EU, levied sanctions on Iran. 

Following the 2013 election of a seemingly more moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Obama administration completed an interim framework agreement with Iran in 2013. In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)— commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal— was officially agreed upon by Iran, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Germany. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear program in exchange for the reduction of nuclear-related economic sanctions.

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