The Trump Administration and Iran’s Nuclear Program: Realist Perceptions in the Transitional Order of the International System (2017–2025)

Salehi, Seyed Javad

doi:10.22034/wasj.2026.578126.1134

The Trump Administration and Iran’s Nuclear Program: Realist Perceptions in the Transitional Order of the International System (2017–2025)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Seyed Javad Salehi

Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/wasj.2026.578126.1134

Abstract

The third decade of the twenty-first century has faced more complexities and transformations than any previous period, and with some allowances the present era can be considered a transitional age centered on the United States. With Donald Trump's return to power, U.S. realist policies have taken on more pragmatic dimensions through a "peace through strength" approach. This study examines the question of how U.S. policies toward Iran during the Trump era (2017–2025) were, with a focus on the nuclear program. In response, the hypothesis under review is that Donald Trump's policies are based on Jacksonian doctrine and offensive realism grounded in realist perceptions, and it seems unlikely that he would reduce his maximum-pressure approaches without a significant achievement regarding Iran's nuclear program. The results indicate that the United States has in every way placed the issue of Iran (and consequently its nuclear and missile programs) among its principal objectives and, using a combination of various options, ultimately seeks to compel Iran to align with its interests in West Asia. The data collection method was library and internet-based (articles, books, and reputable global reports) and the research method was descriptive-analytical.

Keywords

West Asia

the United States

Iran's nuclear program

missile program

Iran

Subjects