Kayhan Barzegar, Director of the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies (IMESS) in Tehran, talks about the role of Iran in the Middle East and its relations with the United States. According to Barzegar, while US President Barack Obama preferred to engage Iran in a multilateral format, he also sought to contain it regionally.
Under Donald Trump, the policy has shifted back toward a unilateral approach regarding Iran, which may cause greater tension. Barzegar noted that Trump will eventually come to terms with the Iranian nuclear deal, but will insist on a policy of regional containment of Iran.