Aspects of Change and Reversal in US policy toward Iran during the Presidencies of Barack H. Obama and Donald J. Trump

Abstract

Based on the theoretical efforts on the study of foreign policy change, particularly those focused on decision-making and restructuring approaches, this paper argues that the strategic modification of US policy toward Iran arose during the Barack H.Obama Presidency on the basis of the failure of the previous course of action and the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear program, although this new policy would be restricted by challenges on three axes throughout the process that prevented it to achieve an approach that resolved some issues on the agenda, especially the nuclear issue. Such a situation explains the reversal of Obama’s progress during the Trump administration, which was in the opposite direction in some aspects of Obama's policy. The theoretical contribution of this article consists in extending the analysis beyond the phase in which the change is decided to clarify its limits and possibilities of consolidation, based on the tracking of interactions between promoting actors, the recipient subject and those who resist. This approach is useful when considering the notion of promoting change and resistance, which is relevant to illustrate the challenge Joe R. Biden will face in driving policy toward Iran.