Us-Iran Relations: Competing and Overlapping Interests in a Turbulent Region

Abstract:In the post-1979 Iranian revolution, the US-Iran relations have become one of the most antagonistic foreign policy issues facing these countries’ international relations. From being allies to enemies and negotiation partners, Iran and the United States have a long history of interactions with each other. During the last quarter of the twentieth century, the US-Iran relations grew further strained by doubt and distrust, a precursor of difficult times ahead. Under the Obama administration, however, limited rapprochement between the United States and Iran led to the nuclear deal with the latter, an agreement that should serve both countries’ national interests. In contrast, the incoming Trump administration could potentially undermine that momentum by imposing more sanctions on Iran, further complicating the relations between these two countries in a turbulent region that desperately needs accommodation rather than conflict.