When Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States, he famously declared that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker.” However, US involvement in the Middle East has only grown with the President previously authorizing strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, officially entering the short-lived Twelve-Day War with Iran on behalf of Israel. Now, amidst new protests in Iran, Trump has openly called for regime change and has signaled that he is willing to use military force to this end.
As negotiations conclude in Oman, the Trump administration must consider that a hypothetical war would be politically disastrous with 85% of Americans saying they don’t want to be at war with Iran. If Trump wishes to improve his 39% approval rating and prevent a potentially catastrophic regional war, it might be time to return to a time-tested framework that is capable of containing Iran’s nuclear program and reducing the risk of war. By reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Trump would signal to the American people and the international community that he is worthy of his self-proclaimed title: “the President of Peace.”
The JCPOA, which was signed by the US, Iran, and other global powers in 2015, put limits on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Due to the agreement, Iran capped its uranium enrichment, reduced its stockpiles, and dismantled some of its nuclear infrastructure. Most importantly, it accepted thorough nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The deal was criticized by hardliners in both the US, who thought it was too lax, and Iran, who thought it was too restrictive.
When Trump withdrew from the JCPOA during his first term, it signaled a break from the more diplomatic Iran policy of the Obama administration which produced the agreement in the first place. The first Trump administration intensified sanctions against Iran in an attempt to renegotiate the JCPOA. However, no agreement was reached. Subsequently, the first Trump administration took a hardline stance against Iran, including illegally assassinating Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
During the Biden presidency, attempts were made to return to the JCPOA framework. Negotiations were indefinitely postponed after Iran began selling weapons to Russia in the midst of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ultimately, the Biden administration proved that diplomacy did not fail because it was flawed or the Iranians were unable to cooperate. Indeed, diplomacy failed because it was purposely abandoned by Washington in favor of militarism. As a consequence, Iran began stockpiling uranium enriched to 60 percent, which is the current justification for the second Trump administration’s hawkish Iran policy. This is despite the fact that the US withdrawal from the JCPOA made Iranian nuclear enrichment inevitable.
While the negotiations in Oman have been considered “a good start” by both sides, the threat of war still looms. From Washington’s perspective, any deal which at a minimum allows for the inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities to ensure they do not rush to build a bomb should be considered preferable to war. Sanctions have failed to spark regime change in Iran since they were first imposed on Iran in 1979. Limited strikes and assassinations have only made war more likely without providing any material benefits. The Trump administration has few viable options aside from negotiating in good faith while ignoring criticism from the neoconservative right.
One of the biggest criticisms of those who opposed the JCPOA is that it did not meaningfully prevent Iran from supporting its regional proxies: the Yemeni Houthis, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Hamas. While these proxy groups threaten Israel, they do not constitute a threat to the United States. The second Trump administration must not make the same mistake as the Biden administration: prioritizing foreign nations over stopping nuclear proliferation.
Reviving the JCPOA is not idealism; it is a pragmatic solution to the threat of nuclear proliferation. It is an acknowledgement that sanctions on Iran have failed, and the only path forward is through diplomacy. With the US and Iran finally engaging in discussions, the IAEA has signaled that it is ready to resume nuclear inspections. Trump should take this unique opportunity to foster regional stability and to live up to his self-proclaimed title: “the President of Peace,” after being “the President of War” thus far.
J.D. Hester is an independent writer born and raised in Arizona. He has previously written for Antiwar.com, Asia Times, The Libertarian Institute, and other outlets. You can send him an email at josephdhester@gmail.com. Follow him on X (@JDH3ster).
