“From Diplomacy to Maximum Pressure: Comparative Analysis of US Iran Policy under Obama and Trump and Its Influence on Pakistani Foreign Policy Strategy”

Abstract

The United States and Iran’s relations still considered as major conflict in the international politics because of nuclear program of the Iran, and its influence in the region, and the security of the Middle East. The study compares the policy which imposed by the f the Barack Obama and Donald Trump and highlight its effect on the foreign policy of Pakistan. the policy of the Barack Obama was diplomatic engagement by following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. Its target was to overcome the nuclear program of the Iran and its influence in the region through multilateral cooperation and negotiation. In the opposite of it. Donald Trump withdraws from this policy in 2018. And introduced the maximum pressure. This policy was based on economic sanctions and political pressure. The research, through a qualitative and analytical methodology based on the realism approach, concludes that despite having almost the same goals, the two administrations had different impacts in the region. Obama's policy helped maintain temporary peace in the region, while the policy by Trump fueled regional tension and rivalry. Another point of interest in this research is how changes in the US-Iran relationship influenced Pakistani foreign policy, prompting Pakistan to seek balance in its relationship with Iran and other regional powers. changes in great powers’ strategies have a significant impact on regional stability and the foreign policies of smaller nations. This study also highlights the importance of diplomacy and strategic balancing in coping with geopolitical issues in modern times

Keywords:   US-Iran relation, JCPOA, Maximum pressure, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Pakistan Foreign Policy, Realism, Middle East Politics.