Former US President Donald Trump asserted that his administration had secured clear commitments from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, a victory he hailed as a triumph for his "maximum pressure" foreign policy. In an interview with Fox News, Trump emphasized that Tehran had agreed not to purchase or manufacture nuclear weapons, calling it a significant turning point in the indirect negotiations aimed at achieving stability in the Middle East.
Trump stated, “We have received assurances from Tehran that they will not acquire a nuclear weapon, neither buying nor manufacturing one. They agreed to that, and that was very interesting.” He added confidently, “I’m not in a hurry. Slowly but surely, I think we’re getting what we want, and if we don’t get what we want, things will go differently.” These remarks reflect his strategy of imposing harsh economic sanctions to force Iran back to the negotiating table on American terms.
Historical context: From the nuclear agreement to maximum pressure
Trump's remarks come amid a tense and complex context in US-Iranian relations. In 2015, the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations, which stipulated restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. However, President Trump, one of the agreement's fiercest critics, unilaterally withdrew the United States from it in May 2018, calling it "the worst deal ever."
Following the withdrawal, the Trump administration reinstated harsh economic sanctions on Iran and launched what became known as the “maximum pressure campaign.” This campaign aimed to cripple the Iranian economy and force it to negotiate a new, more comprehensive agreement that would not only cover the nuclear program but also Iran’s ballistic missile program and its regional influence in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon.
Regional and international importance and impacts
The decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement and Trump's subsequent statements had profound effects at the regional and international levels. Regionally, US allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel welcomed the maximum pressure campaign, as they shared Washington's concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions and its destabilizing role in the region. Conversely, this policy led to an escalation of tensions in the Gulf region, with incidents targeting oil tankers and critical infrastructure.
Internationally, the American stance strained relations with European allies (Britain, France, and Germany) who were parties to the agreement and had worked hard to salvage it. They viewed the agreement, despite its flaws, as the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Thus, Trump's policy challenged the multilateral diplomatic order and highlighted the division between Washington and its traditional allies on how to handle the Iranian issue—a division whose repercussions continue to this day.
