Tyler Streeter

Dr. Hilaire

POSC 331: 001

October 1, 2018

Iran and the U.S.Research Paper Outline

Topic:

The United States has the cultural tendency to generalize ethnicities. Iran, a distinctive middle eastern nation, has suffered under general foreign policy actions from the U.S.

Introduction:

The Middle East is a conflict-filled, resource-rich, culturally unique region that has been constantly overlooked and underestimated. Multiple stakeholders and states have been involved in the region for a plentiful amount of reasons.The cultural ignorance has influenced U.S. foreign policy to neglect perspective opportunities of a country within impoverished regions. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate Iran and the United States foreign policy interactions from their domestic perspective. Their domestic perspectives shall encompass both cultural and administrative influences.

Objectives:

Emphasize the influence of cultural practices on foreign diplomacy tactics

Provide a regional and country-specific historical context for the U.S. and Iranian relations

Differentiate foreign policy between administrations in both Iran and the U.S. With a particular focus on comparison on Barack Obama’s expansive foreign diplomacy approach and Donald Trump’s restrictive foreign diplomacy approach.

Analyze the United States foreign policy towards Iran and Iran’s foreign policy towards the United States

Critically evaluate determining influences on foreign relations approach. With a specific adherence to culture, resources, and global status

Historical Context:

Iran and the United States, for the purposes of this paper, began the bulk of their interactions in 1951.

-1951: Mohammed Mossadegh, associate degree ultranationalist, is the democratically elected prime minister, underneath the monarch. He angers Great Britain by making an attempt to nationalize the oil business.

-1953: Both U.S. and British cooperatively and successfully overthrew Mossadegh through their distinctive intelligence agencies. The coup consolidates power beneath the Shah, making certain cooperation on oil and discouraging Communist expansion.

-1963-1964: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, an Islamic leader, was arrested for speaking out against the Shah’s relationship with the United States. His arrest resulted in him being exiled to Turkey.

-1978: Khomeini continues his activism by establishing an opposition movement in Paris, France.

-1979: Khomeini and his supporters claim Iran as an Islamic State. They occupy the United States embassy in Iran’s capital, Tehran, for over a year. The United States limits economic interactions with Iran by freezing their assets.

-1980-81: The United States severs all ties with Iran. A failed military rescue takes place which resulted in a crashed helicopter. At the end of President Carter’s term, hostages are finally released

-1980s: Scarce interactions but interactions revived in Iran assisting U.S. with liberating hostages held in Lebanon. An Iranian plane was accidentally shot down by American Cruisers

-1989: Khomeini passes away and another Iranian political figure rises to the highest office, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

-1990s: Overview of the Clinton administration. Were the imposition of sanctions on Iran by the U.S. justified? Madeleine Albright’s role in assisting the transition of relations from hostile to inactive. Distrust amplified between the two states.

-2000: Albright announces the lifting of sanctions.

The United States Foreign Policy towards Iran and Vice Versa (Contemporary Context):

-Post 9/11: Khamenei quickly condemned the attacks of 9/11. The U.S. entered Afghanistan under their decreed war on terror. Afghanistan was able to defeat the Islamic extremist group, the Taliban government, after the U.S. led war. American and Iranian diplomats met together in the urban center of Bonn, with a few representatives from the United Nations, to create a brand new government and constitution for the capital of Afghanistan. Iran also opened its borders for refugees coming in from Afghanistan. Iran proposed a “grand bargain” to the U.S. to assist their presence in the region and even claimed they would possibly recognize Israel as a state. The U.S. overlooked the proposed meeting, once again disrespecting Iran.

-Obama Administration: The Iran Nuclear Deal and the importance of denuclearization will be discussed in this section, as well as Obama’s administration’s extensive efforts to reach the agreement. The deal is broken up into five major tenants 1) Limitation of Iran’s Uranium stockpile. The Uranium supply is always below the amount necessary to form a nuclear weapon. 2) Uranium enrichment also disables them from being able to create a nuclear weapon. 3) Iran gave up two-thirds of their center fuses. 4) UN inspectors have relatively easy access to inspect any Iranian nuclear or military facilities. 5) The U.S., European Union, and UN will lift sanctions extremely damaging to their economy. Shortcomings: angered Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Republicans. Does not include any other aspects of diplomacy. Has loopholes in the event Iran does not comply with the agreement.

-Trump Administration: Reversal of Obama’s progression. Disrespectful diplomacy. Has abandoned the Iran Nuclear Deal, which was required to be signed by the President every 90 days. Donald Trump utilizations of fear-mongering tactics and generalizations translated into diplomatic action.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, progress on U.S. and Iranian relations have been set back from the Trump administration. Cultural influence and capitalistic needs have blurred relations that Barack Obama began to bring clarity to in the Iran Nuclear Deal. Unfortunately, the evasive behavior of the current administration has to lead to regression in relations between the two nations.

Work Cited

Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, www.cfr.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran.

Butler, Declan. “Iran Nuclear Deal Poses Scientific Challenges.” Nature, Sept. 2015, doi:10.1038/nature.2015.17296.

Duncombe, Constance. “Representation, Recognition and Respect: Foreign Policy and the Iran-US Relationship.” doi:10.14264/uql.2015.164.

“Engel Statement on Iran Deal.” States News Service, 14 July 2015, www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-421696508.html?refid=easy_hf.

“Introduction.” US Foreign Policy and the Modernization of Iran, doi:10.1057/9781137482211.0003.

“IRAN-US CLAIMS TRIBUNAL v. AS.” International Law Reports, pp. 321–330., doi:10.1017/cbo9781316152232.021.

Kemp, Geoffrey. U.S. and Iran: the Nuclear Dilemma: next Steps. Nixon Center, 2004.

Offiler, Ben. “US Foreign Policy and the Modernization of Iran.” 2015, doi:10.1057/9781137482211.

The Middle East: United States Policy and Relations in the …web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/war_peace/middleeast/hcentury.html.

“UN Nuclear Chief Supports US-Iran Talks.” Physics Today, 2009, doi:10.1063/pt.5.023023.

“UN Nuclear Chief Supports US-Iran Talks.” Physics Today, 2009, doi:10.1063/pt.5.023023.