Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

Iran-United States Relations after the Islamic Revolution: A Failure of Detente

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Ph.D Candidate, Department of North American Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of North American Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/irfa.2025.392545.1186
Abstract
Relations between Iran and the United States have always been either frigid or antagonistic in nature since the Islamic Revolution. Over the past 43 years, some Iranian reformist officials have sought to de-escalate tensions and reestablish normal relations with the United States. In this study, five milestones in Iran's détente policy are examined. These cases include Iran's mediation in securing the release of American hostages in Lebanon, Iran's lucrative economic offer to the American oil company Conoco, Iran's intelligence assistance to the US in Afghanistan to combat terrorism, the submission of the so-called "Grand Bargain" proposal to negotiate and settle all points of contention with the United States—such as support for Hezbollah and Iran's presence in Iraq—and, finally, the JCPOA. In this study, using the "Process Tracing" method and analyzing primary sources such as US congressional records and IAEA reports, the factors influencing these cases are discussed in detail, and ultimately, the failure or ineffectiveness of each measure is presented through the words of American officials. The analysis of the détente cases supports the theory of "Empire, Client, Enemy States," demonstrating that rapprochement with Iran—which is considered an enemy state by the US—whether strategic, political, or economic, is likely to fail until the internal power structures in Iran and the nature of the Islamic Revolution change, and Iran's role toward the United States shifts from that of an enemy to a client state.
Keywords
Subjects

Article Title Persian

روابط ایران و ایلالات متحده بعد از انقلاب اسلامی: شکست تنش زدایی

Authors Persian

فرشته سادات رحیمی 1
فواد ایزدی 2
1 دانشجوی دکتری، گروه مطالعات آمریکای شمالی، دانشکده مطالعات جهان، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران
2 دانشیار مطالعات آمریکای شمالی، دانشکده مطالعات جهان، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران
Abstract Persian

روابط ایران و ایالات متحده از زمان انقلاب اسلامی همواره سرد یا خصمانه بوده است. اما در طول ۴۵ سال گذشته، برخی از مقامات اصلاح‌طلب ایرانی در تلاش برای کاهش تنش‌ها و عادی‌سازی روابط با ایالات متحده آمریکا بوده‌اند. در این مطالعه، پنج نقطه عطف از سیاست تنش‌زدایی ایران بررسی شده است. این موارد شامل میانجیگری ایران در آزادسازی گروگان‌های آمریکایی از لبنان، پیشنهاد اقتصادی پرسود ایران به شرکت نفتی کونوکو آمریکا، کمک اطلاعاتی ایران به آمریکا در افغانستان برای مبارزه با تروریسم، ارائه پیشنهاد موسوم به «معامله بزرگ» برای مذاکره و حل و فصل تمام اختلافات با ایالات متحده، مانند حمایت از حزب‌الله و حضور ایران در عراق و غیره است. در این مطالعه، با استفاده از روش «ردیابی فرآیند» و با تجزیه و تحلیل منابع اولیه مانند سوابق کنگره آمریکا به همراه گزارش‌های آژانس بین‌المللی انرژی اتمی، عوامل مؤثر در این موارد به تفصیل مورد بحث قرار گرفته و در نهایت، نتایج معکوس یا بی‌فایده بودن هر یک از این اقدامات از زبان مقامات آمریکایی بیان شده است. تحلیل موارد تنش‌زدایی، نظریه «امپراتوری، مشتری، کشورهای دشمن» را تأیید کرد و ثابت کرد که تا زمانی که ساختار اساسی قدرت داخلی در ایران و ماهیت انقلاب اسلامی تغییر نکند و نقش ایران در قبال ایالات متحده از یک کشور دشمن به یک کشور وابسته تغییر نکند، ایجاد روابط حسنه با ایران که برای ایالات متحده دشمن محسوب می‌شود، چه استراتژیک، سیاسی یا اقتصادی، شکست خواهد خورد.

Keywords Persian

حسن نیت
کانکو
کانال ژنو
معامله بزرگ
امپراطور
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Volume 16, Issue 1 - Serial Number 41
September 2025
Pages 35-54

  • Receive Date 09 April 2023
  • Accept Date 09 November 2025