After nearly half a century of hostility, sanctions, military threats and indirect confrontations, the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States may represent one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the Middle East since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

More than an agreement on nuclear issues, however, this development reveals something deeper: Washington’s recognition of the limits of the “maximum pressure” strategy it has pursued against Tehran for decades.

More than an agreement on nuclear issues, however, this development reveals something deeper: Washington’s recognition of the limits of the “maximum pressure” strategy it has pursued against Tehran for decades.

Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979, the United States has sought to contain Iran through a variety of means. Economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, sabotage operations, hybrid warfare, targeted assassinations and the constant threat of military action have all been employed.

The objective was clear: to force the Islamic Republic to abandon its independent foreign policy, restrict its defensive capabilities and reduce its regional influence.

Forty-seven years later, the results have fallen far short of Washington’s expectations.

Despite being subjected to some of the harshest sanctions ever imposed on a sovereign state, Iran has preserved its political independence, developed significant industrial and technological capabilities, built one of the region’s most advanced missile programmes and maintained its influence over major........

© Middle East Monitor