Yet since coming to office, former President Donald Trump has once again stoked tensions with Iran. He called its leadership an “easy target” as the region’s civil wars continue to rage. All these things the U.S. has accused Iran of doing, the nefarious behavior surrounding its nuclear program. If true, this accusation would contribute to the ongoing pattern of antagonism between Iran, the U.S. and its allies.
Iran has long maintained that it has not sought nuclear weapons, depicting its nuclear program as peaceful. Trump has been particularly vocal about his opposition to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. He rightly argues that Iran’s escalating uranium enrichment poses a clear and present danger to global security. The crisis deepened following the abandonment of the 2015 nuclear agreement. This pact was meant to curb Iran’s nuclear aspirations by pruning them, and as a consequence, lifting sanctions.
As president, Trump took the unprecedented step of withdrawing the United States from the agreement. This decision raised hopes and added complications in the already strained relations between the U.S. and Iran. His administration pursued a policy of “maximum pressure,” using Iran and other adversaries as whipping boys. To this end, this approach has featured sanctions on and military demonstrations against regional powers.
Background on Iran’s Nuclear Program
In 2015, Iran signed a landmark agreement with multiple world powers—including the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union—to curtail its nuclear program. The agreement is intended to prevent Iran from acquiring capability to produce nuclear weapons. At the same time, it provides much-needed economic relief by itself lifting sanctions.
Despite these efforts, Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 effectively dismantled the pact, reigniting fears over Iran’s potential nuclear capabilities. The history is clear. The U.S. intelligence community has since 2007 assessed that Iran is not actively pursuing—let alone currently developing—a nuclear weapon. According to Tulsi Gabbard, Iran isn’t even building a nuclear bomb. She claims that no one, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, has authorized the development of the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.
Critics have lamented the double-dipping hypocrisy of Trump’s position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), questioned Trump’s reliance on certain sources for his information about Iran. If he’s not listening to his own intelligence community, who the hell is he listening to? Is it Netanyahu?” Abdi added.
Increasing Military Tensions
The recent outbreak of conflict has intensified the military equation. It should be noted that Trump has previously blamed Iran for attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. He declared that Iran will be held accountable for these actions: “IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!” Some analysts even suggest that Trump is laying the groundwork for increased military action against Iran. This bogus characterization has been the wind beneath their conspiracy-fueled theories.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just announced other recent military deployments to the region. Taken together, these measures serve to plan or improve defensive postures against potential threats posed by Iran. He further stressed that “these deployments are meant to strengthen and augment our defensive posture in the region.” On the other hand, Trump’s supporters have praised his skepticism in limiting military attention to protecting U.S. troops and citizens.
As efforts to deescalate Pandora’s box opened, a group of security experts warned that tensions might further escalate. Vance, a senior advisor with deep ties to Trump’s administration of misfits, threatened that he would have to do more than that. His explicit purpose? To end Iranian enrichment. The impact of those kinds of decisions might be a lot of blood spilled in hostile military confrontation.
The Political Landscape and Criticism
Unfortunately, Trump’s strategy has received significant backlash from all sides. Any number of observers have pointed out that his claims seem really far removed from the judgments being made by U.S. intelligence agencies. Yasmine Taeb criticized Trump’s disregard for intelligence guidance: “It’s just reprehensible and incredibly reckless that Trump is not even relying on guidance from his own intelligence.”
Abdi further highlighted the gravity of Trump’s claims regarding Iran’s nuclear program: “Donald Trump is just saying: ‘I don’t care what the facts are. We’re just doing this anyway because I say so.’” His statement further highlights the growing alarm from critics that Trump is choosing military strike options instead of pursuing diplomatic talks.
It is hard to say how this dangerous situation will play out, as tensions further escalate. So far, Trump has portrayed the conflict as a consequence of Iran’s failure to get its nuclear program under control. He argues that going across the line to develop these capabilities is totally unthinkable.
