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A Strategic Narrative Construction of the Trump Administration on Iran’s Nuclear Program

Year 2022, Volume: 31 Issue: 2, 195 - 216, 08.11.2022
https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2022.31.1067268

Abstract

This study mainly aims to explore the strategic narrative that the Trump administration constructed about Iran’s nuclear program. The study tries to identify what kind of strategic narratives the Trump administration constructed during the period of the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal and its re-imposition of sanctions against Iran. For this purpose, the study was conducted by analyzing the official statements, remarks and speeches of U.S. foreign policy-makers, which make up the primary data source of the study. The qualitative method was adopted for data survey and collection, and the analysis of the obtained data was analyzed through the technique of qualitative content analysis. By using the qualitative method, the paper seeks to ascertain meaning construction in the discourse of foreign policy-makers. During the research process, it was observed that the Trump administration utilized strategic narratives on three different levels: issue narratives, identity narratives, and system narratives. The research concludes that the Trump administration employed the strategic narrative as a tool to legitimize its foreign policy decisions derived by the “maximum pressure” strategy that aimed to restrict Iran’s increasing power capacity and to reduce its regional influence in the Middle East.

References

  • Antoniades, A., Miskimmon, A., & O’Loughhlin, B. (2010). Great power politics and strategic narratives, Center for Global Political Economy, Working Paper, (7), 5.
  • Barthwal, M. (2020). Constructing India as similar enough other: the Bush Administration’s strategic narrative of the U-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement, Journal of Global Security Studies, 1(1), 1-17.
  • Barthwal, M., & Chacko, P. (2020). The politics of strategic narrative of regional order in the Indo-pacific, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 74(3), 244-263.
  • Barthwal, M. (2015). Strategic narratives and non-states actors, Critical Studies on Security, 3 (3), 328-330. Bilgin, K.R. (2018). Media, narrative in the relationship between war and society: a movie review, In E.Doğan & N. Öze (Eds). Issues in Communication Media and Public Relations. (ss.117-128), London: IJOPEC.
  • Castells, M. (2009). Communication power, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Deverell, E., Wagnsson C., & Olsson, E. (2021). Destruct, direct and suppress: sputnik narrative on the Nordic countries, The Journal of International Communication, 27(1), 15-37. Farwell, J. (2012). Persuasion and power: the art of strategic communication, Washington: Georgetown University Press.
  • Freedman, L. (2006a). Network, culture and narratives, Adelphi Paper, 45(379), 11-26.
  • Freedman, L. (2006b). Strategic communications, Adelphi Paper, 45(379), 73-93.
  • Hellman, M., & Wagnsson, C. (2015). New media and the war in Afghanistan: the significance of blogging for the Swedish strategic narrative, New Media and Society, 17(1), 6-23.
  • Holtzhausen D., & Zerfass, A. (2015). Strategic communication: opportunities and challenges of the research areas, In Routledge Handbook of Strategic Communication, New York & London: Routledge, 2015.
  • Hallahan,K., Holdzhausen, D., Ruler, B.,Vercic, D., & Sriramerh, K. (2007). Defining strategic communication, International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3-35.
  • Krebs, R. (2015). Narrative and the making of U.S national security, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Küpeli, M. (2016). Sanctions as a Foreign Policy Tool: Impact of Sanctions on Iran, Turkish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 3(1), 97-135.
  • Madisson, M., & Ventsel, A. (2021). Strategic conspiracy narrative, London & New York: Routledge.
  • Miskimmon, A., & O’Loughlin, B. (2019) Narrative of the EU in Israel/Palestine: narrative stickness and the formation of expectations, European Security, 28(3), 268-283.
  • Miskimmon, A., O’Loughlin, B., & Roselle, L. (2013). Strategic narratives: communication power and the new world order, London and New York: Routledge.
  • Miskimmon, A., O’Loughlin, B., & Roselle, L. (2017). Forging the world: strategic narratives and international relations, Michigan: Michigan University Press.
  • Moss D., & Warnaby, G. (1998). Communications strategy? Strategy communication? Integrating different perspectives, Journal of Marketing Communications, 4(3), 131-140.
  • Nissen, T. (2015). The weaponization of social media, Copenhagen: Danish Defense, 2015.
  • O’Shea, P. (2018). Strategic narratives and US military based in Japan, Media, War & Conflict, 12(4), 450-467.
  • Paterson M., & Monroe, R. (1998). Narrative in political Science, Annual Review in Political Science, 1, 315-331.
  • Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: origins, concept and current debates, Californian and Oxford: Praeger.
  • Pompeo, M. (2018). After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy, U.S. Department of State.
  • Pompeo, M. (2018b) Confronting Iran: the Trump administration’s strategy, Foreign Affairs, 91(6), 60-70.
  • Ringmose J., & Börgesen, B. (2011). Shaping public attitudes towards the deployment of military power: NATO, Afghanistan and the use of strategic narratives, European Security, 20 (4), 505-528.
  • Roberts, G. (2006). History, theory and the narrative turn in IR, Review of International Studies, 32 (4), 703-714. Roselle, L. (2006a). Media and the politics of failure, New York: Palgrave.
  • Roselle, L. (2006b). Media and the politics of failure: great powers, communication strategies and military defeats, New York: Palgrave.
  • Roselle, L. (2010). Strategic narrative of war: fear of entrapment and abandonment during protracted conflict, APSA 2010 Annual Meeting Paper.
  • Roselle, L., Miskimmon, A. & O’Loughlin,B. (2014). Strategic narrative: a new means to understand soft power, Media, War and Conflict, 7 (1), 70-84.
  • Schmitt, O. (2018). When are strategic narratives effective? Contemporary Security Policy, 39 (4), 487-511.
  • Suganami, H. (1999). Agent, structures, narratives, European Journal of International Relations, 5 (3), 365-386.
  • Szostek, J. (2017). Defence and promotion of desired state identity in the Russian strategic narrative, Geopolitics, 22 (3), 571-593.
  • Zaharna, R. (2010). Battles to bridges:U.S strategic communication and public diplomacy after 9/11, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Trump Yönetiminin İran’ın Nükleer Programına Yönelik Stratejik Anlatı İnşası

Year 2022, Volume: 31 Issue: 2, 195 - 216, 08.11.2022
https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2022.31.1067268

Abstract

Bu çalışma, özü itibariyle Trump yönetiminin (2017-2021) İran’ın nükleer programı hakkında inşa ettiği stratejik anlatıyı incelemektedir. Çalışmanın temel amacı, ABD’nin nükleer anlaşmadan çekilme ve İran’a yönelik yaptırımları yeniden uygulama sürecinde Trump yönetiminin nasıl bir stratejik anlatı inşasında bulunduğunu tespit etmektir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda çalışma, birincil kaynaklar olan siyasi elitlerin resmi demeç, bildiri ve açıklamaları incelenerek yürütüldü. Veri tarama ve toplama sürecinde nitel yöntem benimsenirken, elde edilen verilerin çözümleme işlemi nitel içerik analizi tekniğiyle yapıldı. Araştırıma sürecinde Trump yönetiminin olay anlatısı, kimlik anlatısı ve sistem anlatısı olmak üzere üç farklı düzlemde stratejik anlatı inşasında bulunduğu gözlemlendi. Araştırma, Trump yönetiminin Orta Doğu’da İran’ın artan güç kapasitesi ve bölgesel etkinliğinin önüne geçmek amacıyla uygulamaya koyduğu “maksimum baskı” stratejisi uyarınca aldığı kararları uluslararası kamuoyu nezdinde meşru göstermek amacıyla stratejik anlatıyı bir araç olarak kullandığı sonucuna ulaşmaktadır.

References

  • Antoniades, A., Miskimmon, A., & O’Loughhlin, B. (2010). Great power politics and strategic narratives, Center for Global Political Economy, Working Paper, (7), 5.
  • Barthwal, M. (2020). Constructing India as similar enough other: the Bush Administration’s strategic narrative of the U-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement, Journal of Global Security Studies, 1(1), 1-17.
  • Barthwal, M., & Chacko, P. (2020). The politics of strategic narrative of regional order in the Indo-pacific, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 74(3), 244-263.
  • Barthwal, M. (2015). Strategic narratives and non-states actors, Critical Studies on Security, 3 (3), 328-330. Bilgin, K.R. (2018). Media, narrative in the relationship between war and society: a movie review, In E.Doğan & N. Öze (Eds). Issues in Communication Media and Public Relations. (ss.117-128), London: IJOPEC.
  • Castells, M. (2009). Communication power, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Deverell, E., Wagnsson C., & Olsson, E. (2021). Destruct, direct and suppress: sputnik narrative on the Nordic countries, The Journal of International Communication, 27(1), 15-37. Farwell, J. (2012). Persuasion and power: the art of strategic communication, Washington: Georgetown University Press.
  • Freedman, L. (2006a). Network, culture and narratives, Adelphi Paper, 45(379), 11-26.
  • Freedman, L. (2006b). Strategic communications, Adelphi Paper, 45(379), 73-93.
  • Hellman, M., & Wagnsson, C. (2015). New media and the war in Afghanistan: the significance of blogging for the Swedish strategic narrative, New Media and Society, 17(1), 6-23.
  • Holtzhausen D., & Zerfass, A. (2015). Strategic communication: opportunities and challenges of the research areas, In Routledge Handbook of Strategic Communication, New York & London: Routledge, 2015.
  • Hallahan,K., Holdzhausen, D., Ruler, B.,Vercic, D., & Sriramerh, K. (2007). Defining strategic communication, International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3-35.
  • Krebs, R. (2015). Narrative and the making of U.S national security, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Küpeli, M. (2016). Sanctions as a Foreign Policy Tool: Impact of Sanctions on Iran, Turkish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 3(1), 97-135.
  • Madisson, M., & Ventsel, A. (2021). Strategic conspiracy narrative, London & New York: Routledge.
  • Miskimmon, A., & O’Loughlin, B. (2019) Narrative of the EU in Israel/Palestine: narrative stickness and the formation of expectations, European Security, 28(3), 268-283.
  • Miskimmon, A., O’Loughlin, B., & Roselle, L. (2013). Strategic narratives: communication power and the new world order, London and New York: Routledge.
  • Miskimmon, A., O’Loughlin, B., & Roselle, L. (2017). Forging the world: strategic narratives and international relations, Michigan: Michigan University Press.
  • Moss D., & Warnaby, G. (1998). Communications strategy? Strategy communication? Integrating different perspectives, Journal of Marketing Communications, 4(3), 131-140.
  • Nissen, T. (2015). The weaponization of social media, Copenhagen: Danish Defense, 2015.
  • O’Shea, P. (2018). Strategic narratives and US military based in Japan, Media, War & Conflict, 12(4), 450-467.
  • Paterson M., & Monroe, R. (1998). Narrative in political Science, Annual Review in Political Science, 1, 315-331.
  • Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: origins, concept and current debates, Californian and Oxford: Praeger.
  • Pompeo, M. (2018). After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy, U.S. Department of State.
  • Pompeo, M. (2018b) Confronting Iran: the Trump administration’s strategy, Foreign Affairs, 91(6), 60-70.
  • Ringmose J., & Börgesen, B. (2011). Shaping public attitudes towards the deployment of military power: NATO, Afghanistan and the use of strategic narratives, European Security, 20 (4), 505-528.
  • Roberts, G. (2006). History, theory and the narrative turn in IR, Review of International Studies, 32 (4), 703-714. Roselle, L. (2006a). Media and the politics of failure, New York: Palgrave.
  • Roselle, L. (2006b). Media and the politics of failure: great powers, communication strategies and military defeats, New York: Palgrave.
  • Roselle, L. (2010). Strategic narrative of war: fear of entrapment and abandonment during protracted conflict, APSA 2010 Annual Meeting Paper.
  • Roselle, L., Miskimmon, A. & O’Loughlin,B. (2014). Strategic narrative: a new means to understand soft power, Media, War and Conflict, 7 (1), 70-84.
  • Schmitt, O. (2018). When are strategic narratives effective? Contemporary Security Policy, 39 (4), 487-511.
  • Suganami, H. (1999). Agent, structures, narratives, European Journal of International Relations, 5 (3), 365-386.
  • Szostek, J. (2017). Defence and promotion of desired state identity in the Russian strategic narrative, Geopolitics, 22 (3), 571-593.
  • Zaharna, R. (2010). Battles to bridges:U.S strategic communication and public diplomacy after 9/11, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
There are 33 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Political Science
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Yusuf Adıgüzel 0000-0002-8400-1099

İsmail Akdoğan 0000-0002-0098-4121

Publication Date November 8, 2022
Submission Date February 2, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 31 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Adıgüzel, Y., & Akdoğan, İ. (2022). A Strategic Narrative Construction of the Trump Administration on Iran’s Nuclear Program. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, 31(2), 195-216. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2022.31.1067268