Hans Morgenthau, in his seminal work ‘Politics Among Nations (1948)’ stated, “The concept of national interest is defined in terms of power. The survival of the state is the minimum requirement; beyond that, all is subject to negotiation.”

The Middle East has long been susceptible to conflicts and crises. Over the course of history, the region has continued to remain a muscle-flexing ground for great powers. Whether the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iran-Iraq War, the US invasion of Iraq, or the most dominant Israel-Palestine conflict, the Middle East has turned into the hub of proxy wars among the great powers. The pre-1970s era was dominated by the influence of the West in the region, with Iran being a key ally of the US. Once the Shah of Iran was driven out in 1979, the Iranian foreign policy went through a full turnabout, announcing the West and especially Israel to be its major opponent and a national security threat.

“The ditching of uranium enrichment is totally against their national interest.” – Ali Khamenei

The post-1979 Iran is controlled by a theocratic government with Ruhollah Khomeini as its first supreme leader. Immediately after the takeover of office, Khomeini began taking stern political and economic measures against Israel. The directive of the recognition of Israel by Iran was revoked and was deemed as ‘Death to Israel’ or ‘Marg Bar Israel’.

The Israeli goods were boycotted, and its national flag turned out to be a symbol of disaster and a curse. Khomeini was the first Iranian ruler who formally launch full-scale assistance to Palestinian groups to resist Israel. Further, he marked the last Friday of the month of Ramadan as ‘International Quds Day’ or ‘Youm al Quds’ in sympathy with oppressed Palestinians and their ongoing resistance against the Zionist regime.

The Iranian government, led by Khomeini, labeled the US as the ‘Great Satan’ and Israel as ‘Little Satan’ and supported it on a collective Muslim front against the Zionist regime in the Middle East. For this, Iran, using the banner of Islamic Jihad, was supported by its like-minded organizations such as Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas, PLO, etc., operating within Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine, respectively. This network of non-state actors was titled ‘Axis of Resistance’.

The strategic thinking of Iran has always worried about the Western aid to Israel, which had been unofficially recognized as a de facto nuclear weapons state by the late 1960s. This nuclear ambiguity has granted leverage to Israel over the axis of resistance and pro-Palestinian forces operating in the Middle East.

Kenneth Waltz wrote, ‘Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities is a rational response to its security environment.

Noticing the relentless crimes of the Zionist regime, the Iranian establishment IRGC, under the rule of Iran’s second supreme leader, Syed Ali Khamenei, stepped up the nuclear program as the sole response to the brutal dictatorship of Israel. It did not take long for Iran to initiate its uranium enrichment, which the West and Israel noticed and initiated clandestine operations, cyber-attacks, and targeted killing of Iran’s nuclear experts.

The US administration, led by Barack Obama, had cautioned Iran against the 20% enrichment of uranium. To overcome such maximum pressures, Iran’s former Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani made a decision to engage in negotiations with the US. Following a long series of talks, the Joint Plan of Action (JCPOA) was formally carried out between Iran and P5+1, comprising the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany, to restrict Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 3.76% for 15 years. As a consequence, the sanctions and embargoes against Iran were lifted, along with the unfreezing of Iranian funds.

During his initial term in 2017, President Donald Trump withdrew the US unilaterally from the JCPOA, calling it a disaster for global and regional security. A maximum pressure campaign once again started against Iran. In a retaliatory measure, the Iranian government under the supreme leader Ali Khamenei resumed enriching the uranium beyond the terms outlined in the JCPOA. As of 2025, the official IAEA reports categorically stated 60% enrichment of uranium by Iran. The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel initiated a new venture that, as of today, is continuing. Iran and its axis of resistance have been militarily backing the Palestinians.

When President Trump took over the Oval Office in January 2025, he initiated a twin-policy game with raising a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and, on the other side, offering the Iranian administration for negotiations on its nuclear plans. Until now, about six rounds of negotiations have been concluded between American and Iranian representatives, with both announcing talks to be progressing in a positive direction.

President Trump has stationed aerial bombers in Diego Garcia to put pressure on Iran to drop its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, President Trump has stationed aerial bombers in Diego Garcia, the Indian Ocean, to put pressure on Iran to drop its nuclear program. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, recently gave a very aggressive speech on the death anniversary of Ruhollah Khomeini on 4 June 2025, announcing that the ditching of uranium enrichment is totally against their national interest.

Kenneth Waltz, in his famous treatise ‘Why should Iran Get the Bomb (2012)’ wrote, “Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities is a rational response to its security environment. In a region surrounded by nuclear-armed rivals and frequent U.S. interventions, deterrence is logical.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, also commented, “Without respecting our right of uranium enrichment, there will be no agreement.” Khamenei, in an official tweet, stated that thousands of nuclear scientists and researchers had been trained in Iran. Should we disappoint them, render them jobless, and deprive them of hope for the future of our nation? The impolite, arrogant US leaders want this. They are against progress and the self-sufficiency of the Iranian people.

Despite all these hindrances, President Trump wants to settle this matter through negotiations and is providing a chance for diplomacy. On this issue, some political differences have surfaced between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Israel believes that it should attack Iran’s nuclear sites, but President Trump is doing his utmost to cool down the issue at hand. President Trump has also spoken with Russian President Putin to take an active role in the Iran-US nuclear negotiations. Both the US and Iran are still willing to have future negotiations to attain an optimum and feasible solution.

If the talks failed, then there would be a solid reason for Israel to attack Iranian nuclear sites, worsening the situation further.

Iran has always been vulnerable to sanctions and economic embargoes that have caused immense damage to its economy. Any agreement of any kind, if reached between the US and Iran, would surely be a windfall for it. But to have a credible strategic stability against Israel in the Middle East, the nuclear aspirations are essential for its national security.

If the US wanted to settle this issue on a serious note, then the Trump administration needs to bring both Iran and Israel under the regulations of the IAEA. Israel and Iran both need to be pressured to shun their nuclear programs. Per Contra, if the talks failed, then there would be a solid reason for Israel to attack Iranian nuclear sites, worsening the situation further.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.