The Impact of Trump’s Foreign Policy on Iran: The Withdrawal from the nuclear Deal (2018)

Abstract

The thesis takes the impact of Trump's withdrawal from Iran‟s nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018; As a case study to shed light on a major aspect of US foreign policy towards the Middle East in the 21st century. The Trump's administration claimed that the Obama-era nuclear deal in 2015 included defects because its provisions did not guarantee the complete elimination of the nuclear program. Consequently; The decision was drafted with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement that permanently eliminates Iran's nuclear aspirations and protects its allies in the Middle East from interference by sectarian proxies supported by Iran. However, using the analytical and historical approach, the study sought to reveal a possible repercussion behind this decision, in which Trump tried to implement the policy of maximum economic sanctions on Iran as a result of its concern of escalating its influence through the development of nuclear activities. But the work eventually concluded that destabilizing activities continued as a result of the escalation of the conflict between Iran and US allies at the expense of the Persian Gulf regions. Iran also resumed its nuclear program, despite all European efforts to persuade it to abide by the deal. In return, it tried to renew its economic relations through alternative mechanisms to compensate for its losses and avoid sanctions.