Lessons Learned from the Iran Nuclear Deal

The recent negotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (The Iran Nuke Deal) represents a shift in the paradigm of United States’ foreign policy toward Iran. In this presentation I analyze the historical events leading up to this shift and use them to typify US Foreign Policy toward Iran before the Nuclear deal. To do this, I touch on the 1953 overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq, and provide a brief analysis of US foreign policy with Iran after the 1979 revolution which put theocrat Ayatollah Khomeini in power. After I have used these historic instances to describe a model that fits US foreign policy at this time, I examine globalization and the role of social media through the lens of the Green Movement, the Arab Spring, and the election of progressive Iranian president Mohammed Khatami. I assess how these recent developments challenge the assumptions formed by the US Foreign Policy establishment during the overthrow of Mossadeq and the revolution which established Iranian Theocracy. I take a broader look at how Iran as a cultural entity has reacted to the policies of great powers like the United States in the past by examining its relationship with the Caliphates, Russia, and Britain. Using this is as broader context, I draw on my experience as an intern at the United States Mission to the United Nations during the negotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to examine the shift in US policy which allowed this successful negotiation. Taking this one step further, I include policy recommendations meant to enhance the efficacy of diplomatic negotiation (especially by powerful states) in the face of a rapidly changing world