Title: Iran Takes a Conservative Turn

In 2018, Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and adopted a policy of maximum pressure. While Iran continued to observe the JCPOA, the country’s economy suffered, as did Iranian reformists. As a result, hardliners took control of the legislative and executive branches in the 2021 Elections. While the Biden Administration has been severely critical of Trump’s Iran policy, they have essentially followed the same policies. Now a more intractable conservative government in Iran is unwilling to accept American demands without getting significant and verifiable sanctions relief. Iran’s future and regional outlook have become more clouded than ever before.