US Policy Towards Iran - Essay Example

U.S Policies towards Iran U.S Policies towards Iran Economic sanctions have been in use as a tool of foreign policy forover 2,500 years. Sanctions are tools used by governments to influence other nations to adopt their policies. The issue of U.S sanctions imposed on Iran has existed for the last 30 years. Since 1979, the two countries have had minimal economic cooperation. The U.S government has been trying to influence the Iranian economy by altering its interaction with the international community (Mingst and Snyder, 2011). The U.S policy against Iran reached its climax in 2005 when Ahmadinejad won the presidency. The U.S government dispatched battle ships to the Persian Gulf, seized Iranian agents in Iraq, and intensified its campaign to constraint Iranian access to the international economy.

The criticism of Tehran by Washington has spilled over to the streets and into learning institutions. Academic experts, the press, and leaders of several institutions in America have differing explanations for the causes and effects of these sanctions, but the government is strategizing on how to increase pressure on Iran. The events of 11th September 2001 changed the relationship between the U.S and the Middle East. The Iranian response to the terror attack was viewed as sympathetic. The Iranian government has also been criticized for being sympathetic to Afghan Taliban forces.

During the Afghanistan war, Iranians provided the coalition forces with intelligence and did not intervene directly to end the war. This intensified the hostility between Iran and the Bush Administration. Iran has also continuously supported the Palestine government in its conflict with Israel. The U.S government makes policies against Iran in order to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran. Iran has the power to exploit the changing Arab environment in the Middle East, which would cause instability in the region.

The sanctions imposed on Iran by Washington aim at polarizing the Iranian campaign to ensure stability in the region (Kegley and Raymond, 2012). The main source of hostility between U.S and Iran has been the participation of the Iranian in nuclear weapons projects. Iran’s interest in nuclear activities dates back to the 1950’s, and the country reasserted its nuclear program after the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988. This became a great concern for the U.S government that imposed the first sanctions in the 1990s. The U.S government accuses Iran of pursuing a uranium enrichment program.

Most of the research activities are done on weapons and are conducted in military bases (Wright, 2007). This has convinced the U.S government that the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons, which pose great danger to the national security of America. Arab uprising in the Middle East and the hostile relations between Israel and Iran could become disastrous if Iran develops nuclear weapons. The U.S government has imposed economic sanctions to limit funding to the Iranian nuclear projects. Iran fiercely opposes several current long-term objectives of NATO, which is led by USA.

The Iranian government promotes a governance system that contradicts the interests of NATO. Iran opposes systematic use of torture, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and peaceful coexistence in the international system (Parsi, 2007). NATO and the U.S have to seek influence over Iran in order to pursue their objectives without resistance. Iran remains disparated to the peace progression in the Middle East that is led by USA. The NATO alliance aims at establishing a long-term peace deal between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

NATO has to protect Turkey and Norway, who are its member states. Iran protects and provides the Kurdish fighters in Turkey with weapons and training camps. The U.S government and NATO members consider Iran as a safe territory for Turkish fighters who have caused instability and terrorism in the country (Taylor, 2010). The sanctions and policies imposed by America on Iran have eroded the possibility of dialogue to end the nuclear weapons crisis between the two countries. Iranian leaders view America as a political and economic stumbling block that has made it hard for negotiations to occur.

The sanctions have made Iran turn to other Arab countries for economic and market networks. Iran had developed trading relationships with Russia, Syria, Turkey, and several Asian countries. These sanctions have also forced Iran to turn into black markets. This has made the country a strong player in the black markets of the Middle East. Sanctions and foreign policies have caused inflation in the country, which has increased the oil prices. This has attracted international sympathy from different leaders due to hardships encountered by innocent Iranians.

The majority of these sympathizers criticize the activities of America towards Iran and the Middle East (Herad and Bonham, 2007). Hostility between America and Iran has existed for several years and is fueled by a power struggle between the two countries. Iran has supported and sympathized with terror groups in the region such as Kurdish fighters and Palestinian militia. The Iranian government is also pursuing nuclear projects that might cause instability within the region. The Iranian government remains opposed towards goals and objectives of the NATO alliance.

This has forced the U.S government to develop policies that impose sanctions on Iran and convince the UN and other European countries to limit trading activities with Iran. These sanctions have affected the economy of Iran, which has attracted sympathy from several European leaders and humanitarian groups. References Herad, D. S., and Bonham, G.M. 2007. What the Axis of Evil Metaphor Did to Iran. Middle East Journal, 61 (3), 421-441. Kegley, C., & Raymond, G. (2012). The global future: A brief introduction to world politics.

Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Mingst, K., & Snyder, J. L. (2011). Essential readings in world politics. New York: Norton & Company. Parsi, T. (2007). Treacherous alliance: The secret dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Taylor, B. (2010) Chapter Three: Sanctioning Iran. Adelphi Papers 49(411), 59-100. Wright, S. (2007) The United States and Persian Gulf Security: The Foundations for the War on Terror. Reading: Ithaca Press Ltd.