The Failure of US Policy and Iran |
The tragedy of American policy toward Iran is that both parties can point to the failures of the other while ignoring the failures of their own approach. President Obama negotiated a nuclear agreement that provided Iran with access to more than $100 billion in previously restricted assets and broad sanctions relief, although U.S. officials estimated the amount immediately available was closer to $50 billion. Critics warned that the deal focused too narrowly on Iran’s nuclear program while leaving its missile development, terrorist proxies, and regional aggression largely untouched.
President Trump correctly identified many of the JCPOA’s weaknesses, but withdrawing from the agreement without securing a replacement ultimately failed to produce a better outcome. The “maximum pressure” campaign inflicted severe economic pain on Iran, yet it did not force Tehran to accept a broader deal. Instead, Iran steadily expanded its nuclear activities, increased uranium enrichment, deployed advanced centrifuges, and accumulated far larger........