For the Record': How Iran's Troubled History Shapes the Current Nuclear Deal

For more than a generation, American presidents have quietly tried to establish informal talks with Iranian leaders. Ultimately, they all failed and Iran has become a global sponsor of terrorism.

Perhaps that’s why the nuclear deal struck by the Obama administration and five other world powers is being touted as a major diplomatic breakthrough.

President Barack Obama entered office in 2009 determined to reach an agreement with Tehran, and he and his advisers went to extraordinary lengths to make it happen.

However, as this For the Record short explains, the Obama administration’s desperation to overcome past failures may actually make the problems with Iran worse.