First Research Blog Post

Hello loyal fan and reader, my name is Lazar Vukcevic and I will be writing in this weekly blog to continuously update you on my progress in researching Iran-U.S. relations and the most effective diplomatic action for decreasing and eventually stopping Iranian nuclear proliferation. While Iran and the U.S. have been at odds for decades, it is clear that there is a way for the U.S. to succeed in stopping Iran’s nuclear proliferation, without having to endanger the lives of either Iranian or U.S. citizens. Considering the recent Iran nuclear deal, Iran-U.S. relations is an issue that has modern importance and a valuable, historical significance. The deal that was last signed between the U.S. and Iran, however, fails to address a number of issues with Iranian nuclear proliferation as it currently stands, and allows for the continued creation and research of nuclear weapons within Iranian facilities. This new deal has entirely failed to provide the necessary stipulations for Iranian nuclear proliferation to stop, and there will need to be quite a bit of revision for it to become an eventual success in Iran. The academic conversation is fairly divided and scholars in the field have proposed thousands of solutions and diplomatic actions to resolve the poor state of Iran-U.S. relations. However, no agreed upon resolution has yet to be created, leaving the political world with the time-sensitive question of what diplomacy would work best for convincing Iran to halt and eventually stop its nuclear program entirely. The issue being examined is extremely polarizing in nature, and even many of the scholars researching diplomatic solutions struggle to find a perfect way to counteract their own inherent biases. I plan to keep this paper and the research based in statistics and numerical data on relations, such as trade statistics, sanctions, and other clear pieces of evidence that display a nation’s view of another nation. The basic plan for determining which policy is most effective is to examine the diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. from the end of the Iranian revolution (1979) to the present day. While I will be unable to examine every policy and diplomatic action made during this period, I will get a general understanding for the U.S.'s stance towards Iran during each presidency from 1979 to the present and will use that understanding to determine which policy was most effective at achieving its desired effect. The administrations that have the most success with Iran (at least on paper) will then be more closely examined to determine which specific policies caused their success. Even though this method does not allow for the employment of a new type of diplomatic choice or action, it does ensure that historically effective methods of dealing with Iran can be brought back into the policy of the present. With a little hard work and tenacity, I hope that you and I can both enjoy the moment that I can present my findings to the world and at least guide the academic conversation towards a proven and effective policy for Iran.