• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Alexey Malashenko"
  ],
  "type": "commentary",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Iranian Proliferation"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [
    "Eurasia in Transition"
  ],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Middle East",
    "Iran",
    "Israel",
    "Syria"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

Commentary
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

The Improvement in the U.S.-Iran Relations and Its Implications

The improvement in the U.S.-Iran relations was quite expected after Hassan Rowhani came to power. The main question today is that of mutual confidence and the genuineness of the intentions of the new Iranian president.

Link Copied
By Alexey Malashenko
Published on Oct 3, 2013
Project hero Image

Project

Eurasia in Transition

Learn More

The improvement in the U.S.-Iran relations, particularly on the issue of negotiations about Iran’s nuclear program, was quite expected after Hassan Rowhani came to power. The main question today is that of mutual confidence and the genuineness of the intentions of the new Iranian president. It appears that Rowhani is indeed trying to break out of the deadlock in the negotiation process, which his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had created. Rowhani has some experience conducting negotiations on the nuclear issue, and this experience for the most part is rather positive. The economic difficulties Iran is facing as a result of the sanctions that were imposed on it prod Rowhani toward improving his country’s relations with the United States. He hopes to ease the burden of the sanctions by promising to make the nuclear program transparent.

The improvement in the relations between the two countries on the nuclear issue may also contribute to the search of a compromise in the Syrian crisis. Obviously, one should not expect immediate changes on this matter yet, but it becomes quite likely that the Teheran delegation will take part in Geneva-2 negotiations, which Americans had objected to.

The “reset” in the U.S.–Iran relations irritates Israel, which sees the shift in the Iranian position as a mere ploy—a tactical move that would allow Iran to relieve the pressure from the West and buy time for an accelerated development of the military component of its nuclear program. Israel is equally distrustful of Rowhani’s recognition of the Holocaust (publically denied by his predecessor).

The prospects of further normalization of the U.S.-Iran relations remove from the agenda (or postpone) the possibility of a military strike against the Iranian nuclear installations. It can also affect the U.S. relations with the Persian Gulf monarchies, although it is still too early to tell in what way.

Finally, all of this may devaluate the Russia-Iran ties, especially the intermediary role that Moscow has always tried to play in the relations between the West and Iran.

 

About the Author

Alexey Malashenko

Former Scholar in Residence, Religion, Society, and Security Program

Malashenko is a former chair of the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Religion, Society, and Security Program.

    Recent Work

  • Commentary
    What Will Uzbekistan’s New President Do?

      Alexey Malashenko

  • Commentary
    Preserving the Calm in Russia’s Muslim Community

      Alexey Malashenko

Alexey Malashenko
Former Scholar in Residence, Religion, Society, and Security Program
Alexey Malashenko
Foreign PolicyNuclear PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesMiddle EastIranIsraelSyria

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Two people in blue PPE standing over large metal rolls
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Inside the Global Race to Erode a Battery Manufacturing Monopoly

    Over the past decade, China has moved from marginal player to major producer of all things batteries. The United States, Europe, and others are aiming to balance the market.

      Milo McBride

  • Aerial View of a Geothermal Energy Plant in the Imperial Valley of California near the Salton Sea
    Paper
    A Geothermal and Nuclear Strategy for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

    The DFC should focus on advanced, low-carbon energy sources, prioritizing areas where the United States has comparative advantages.

      • Noah J. Gordon

      Noah Gordon, Liana Schmitter-Emerson

  • Lee and Lula walking
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Why Korea’s President Skipped Washington for Silicon Valley and Brasília

    Lee’s tour shows how Seoul is reorganizing its diplomacy away from Pyongyang and toward industrial networks and the geography of the compute economy.

      Darcie Draudt-Véjares

  • An AS3 interceptor part of the Merops, an AI-powered anti-drone system is pictured during a NATO live-fire demonstration of a counter-UAS system on November 18, 2025 in Nowa Deba, Poland.
    Paper
    Confronting the Barriers to AI Diffusion in the U.S. Military

    The Pentagon is calling for a rapid AI transformation. Autonomous drones offer a case study in the eight bottlenecks the U.S. military must navigate to realize that vision.

      Jake Steckler

  • People standing on rocks in the ocean near the shore, with soldiers in the foreground
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Migration Wave That Embarrassed Morocco and Rattled Europe

    Most migrants may have left Ceuta, but the effects may linger.

      • Alejandro Rodriguez
      • Sarah Yerkes

      Alejandro Martin Rodriguez, Sarah Yerkes

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.