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Chapter 1: Introduction -- Part I Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Fracture -- Chapter 2: The Much-Awaited Deal of 2015 -- Chapter 3: The US Exit from the Deal in 2018 -- Chapter 4: Scholarship on the Ramifications of the Fractured Deal -- Part II Theory -- Chapter 5: Cooperation, Spill-over Effects, and Integration -- Chapter 6: Fast-Paced Spill Back Effect -- Chapter 7: Fractured Deal and Triggers to Renewed Proliferation Interest -- Part III Case Study: Iran -- Chapter 8: Iran's Nuclear Ambition and Its Conflicts in the Pre-Deal Period -- Chapter 9: The Deal and Iran's Muted Nuclear Status -- Chapter 10: US Exit from the Deal and Tehran's Intense Proliferation Interest -- Part IV -- Chapter 11 Conclusion.

Discusses positive Iranian steps toward resolving the crisis surrounding its nuclear program, citing a report from the IAEA that no new evidence of illicit nuclear activity has surfaced and information from the European Union indicating that Iran has kept its promise to cease nuclear fuel production.

The Obama administration seems to have given considerable attention to the diplomatic idea of resetting various areas of US foreign policy. As Iran and Israel move toward possible war over regional hegemony with each other—a conflict that looms sooner rather than later—nuclear capability provides leverage for both powers. It is incumbent on the United States to intervene as a third-power mediator, rather than as leader of sanctions against Iran, in order to maintain a stable balance of power in the Middle East. This position would represent a genuine resetting of US foreign policy.

Iran has different climatic and geographical zones (mountainous and desert areas), mostly arid and semi-arid, which are suffering from land degradation. Desertification as a land degradation process in Iran is created by natural and anthropogenic driving forces. Meteorological drought is a major natural driving force of desertification and occurs due to the extended periods of low precipitation. Scarcity of water, as well as the excessive use of water resources, mainly for agriculture, creates negative water balances and changes in plant cover, and accelerates desertification. Despite various political measures having been taken in the past, desertification is still a serious environmental problem in many regions in Iran. In this study, drought and aridity indices derived from long-term temperature and precipitation data were used in order to show long-term drought occurrence in different climatic zones in Iran. The results indicated the occurrence of severe and extremely severe meteorological droughts in recent decades in the areas studied. Moreover, the De Martonne Aridity Index (IDM) and precipitation variability index (PVI) showed an ongoing negative trend on the basis of long-term data and the conducted regression analysis. Rapid population growth, soil salinization, and poor water resource management are also considered as the main anthropogenic drivers. The percentage of the rural population in Iran is decreasing and the urban area is growing fast. Since the 1970s, the usage of groundwater in Iran has increased around fourfold and the average annual decrease in the groundwater table has been around 0.51 m. The results of the study provide a better ex-post and ex-ante understanding of the occurrence of droughts as key driving forces of the desertification in Iran. Additionally, they can enable policymakers to prepare proper regional-based strategic planning in the future. Desertification cannot be stopped or managed completely, but could be mitigated by the adoption of some proposed sustainable land management strategies.

Drought, increased population, war, air pollution, climate change, industrial and agricultural production, sanctions, inefficient water and natural resource use, and lack of enforcement of existing environmental regulations have contributed to Iran's current environmental crisis. Insufficient water resources are forcing people to migrate, putting pressure on others. Aquifers are being drained. Air pollution has made living conditions in Iran's cities increasingly challenging. Wind erosion is furthering the desertification of agricultural land, creating greater production demand on remaining arable areas. Biodiversity is under threat. On the other hand, Iran's environmental future can be positively influenced by the collaboration of the public, private and non-profit sectors. Awareness and education, along with greater financial and human resources, will be necessary to tackle the problem.

It is now widely accepted, and lamented, that US President Barack Obama failed dismally in attempting to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians. What is less well understood is that Obama was also defeated in another area of foreign policy -- relations with Iran. When he came to office, he promised to engage with the Islamic Republic, but this admirable objective was soon supplanted by a policy of threats, sanctions and intimidation aimed at isolating Iran, subverting its economy and overthrowing its regime. Adapted from the source document.

Reports on criticisms from the International Atomic Energy Agency's Deputy-Director-General Pierre Goldschmidt with respect to the lack of cooperation from Iran regarding investigation of its nuclear program, highlighting Iran's uranium-enrichment program.