Relations between Iran and the United States during Joe Biden's term as the president of the United States (2021–2025) were shaped by efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement alongside ongoing regional tensions, sanctions, cyberattacks, and proxy conflicts. Early in Biden's presidency, U.S. officials expressed interest in returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but negotiations in Vienna eventually stalled. Iran increased uranium enrichment and imposed retaliatory sanctions, while the U.S. imposed new sanctions over missile programs, oil exports, and human rights abuses.
Tensions persisted throughout this era, marked by recurring proxy attacks on U.S. bases, which intensified following the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, and by subsequent American retaliatory strikes. The period also saw disputes over the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, and military escalations across the Gulf region. In 2023, a breakthrough occurred with a U.S.–Iran prisoner swap and the release of frozen Iranian funds,„The US moves to advance a prisoner swap deal with Iran and release $6 billion in frozen funds" AP News (September 12, 2023) accessed September 13, 2023. though indirect diplomacy remained fragile. Iran was later accused of interfering in the 2024 U.S. presidential election through cyber operations and AI disinformation. Alleged assassination plots targeting Donald Trump and dissidents on U.S. soil further strained relations. By late 2024, relations remained adversarial, marked by unresolved security disputes and growing mistrust.
State of Iran-U.S. relations in January 2021
At the outset of the Biden administration in January 2021, Iran was led by President Hassan Rouhani, a centrist cleric who had previously championed the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and advocated for improved relations with the West, while ultimate authority rested with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who held decisive power over Iran’s foreign and security policies. Relations between the U.S. and Iran were deeply strained, with no formal diplomatic ties since 1980. The United States had withdrawn from the JCPOA, reimposed sweeping sanctions, and escalated military tensions, while Iran had resumed higher-level uranium enrichment and reduced compliance with the nuclear deal in violation of the agreement.
Early diplomatic positions and regional tensions The Biden administration initially expressed interest in re-engaging with Iran on the Iran nuclear deal, which the previous administration had withdrawn from in 2018, sparking international backlash. Early in his presidency, Biden formally extended an offer to restart diplomatic talks on a new nuclear deal, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the U.S. would consider re-entering the agreement if Iran returned to "strict compliance" with its terms. At the time, Blinken also did not rule out the possibility of military intervention to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
As Iran continued to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021, the government repeatedly urged the Biden administration to lift sanctions. Strict financial measures imposed by the previous Trump administration had negatively impacted Iranian economies.
Tensions remained high in the region. Following a militia-organized rocket attack in Erbil, Iraq, which wounded four American contractors and one soldier, in February 2021 the United States Military conducted airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in Syria, including Kata'ib Hezbollah. The attacks sparked renewed debate over presidential war powers, with key Democratic lawmakers expressing concern about conducting military operations without prior congressional approval.
Nuclear negotiations begin Over 220 US Congress leaders endorsed House Resolution 118 in April 2021, expressing support for "the Iranian people's desire for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran" and condemning "violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism". Around the same time, signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) met in Vienna in an effort to bring both the United States and Iran back into compliance with the nuclear agreement. U.S. and Iranian officials participated in so-called proximity talks in order to exchange views on how to return to the considered deal. Both sides downplayed expectations for rapid progress, insisting that the other should resume their commitments first. Talks continued even after an explosion at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, blamed on Israel, to which Iran responded by increasing uranium enrichment to 60% purity, its highest level to date.
Diplomatic tensions remained unresolved in late 2021, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that military intervention to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons could not be ruled out. Around the same time, Iran imposed sanctions on former U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and eight others for their alleged roles in the 2020 killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani. Iran also requested their arrest through Interpol. President Ebrahim Raisi stated that Trump, Pompeo, and others must be tried in a "fair court".
2021 U.S.–Iran naval incident
In 2021, Iran's crude oil exports had been re-imposed sanctions by the United States after Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on 25 October 2021 that they had thwarted an attempt by the United States to capture and detain a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the gulf of Oman by carrying out a heliborne operation and directing the ship back to Iran's territorial waters. The Pentagon rejected the Iranian statement and said that Iranian forces had seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker in October.
It was later confirmed by the Vietnam officials that Iran had captured their oil tanker MV Sothys. After talks with the Iranian authorities, MV Sothys was released from the Bandar Abbas port on 11 November 2021 without "its original batch of oil." The IRGC public relations department said the release had been under warrant. IRGC released an official footage showing the tanker seizing operation.
Regional cooperation and missile strikes
To bolster regional coordination, the United States, Israel, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) established the Negev Summit in March 2022. Its objective was to deter Iran, as well as to pursue other objectives not connected to defense. Clandestinely, the United States convened military officers from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the same month to discuss and tackle Iran's drone and missile capabilities. Just days later, Iran launched a dozen ballistic missiles toward Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. It was an unprecedented strike that appeared to be aimed at U.S. interests and their allies. General Frank McKenzie, the departing CENTCOM head, testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee that Iraq remained the most vulnerable point for the United States in the Middle East. He expressed growing concern over Iran's advancing ballistic missile program, long-range drones, and expanding arsenal, all of which posed significant threats to regional stability.Jeff Seldin. (March 15, 2022). "US General Warns About Iran's Ability to Go Ballistic". Voice of America website Retrieved March 20, 2022.Jerusalem Post Staff. (March 15, 2022). "Iran has 3,000 ballistic missiles, many that can reach Israel - US general ". Jerusalem Post website Retrieved March 20, 2022. In January 2022, as part of its response to Soleimani's assassination, Iran imposed sanctions on 52 U.S. officials, many of them military figures. Among those targeted were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, CENTCOM chief Kenneth McKenzie, Pentagon officials, and commanders at various U.S. bases in the region.
Stalled negotiations and diplomatic pressure Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated that a short-term resurrection of a 2015 nuclear deal remained possible if the US demonstrated pragmatism in the Vienna negotiations, which had been ongoing for nearly a year. Echoing that sentiment, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan affirmed that the United States was still pursuing a diplomatic resolution to Iran's nuclear ambitions. However, he warned that if diplomacy failed, Washington would work with international partners to intensify pressure on Iran. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also emphasized U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He noted that the United States would work closely with Israel toward that goal, despite ongoing disagreements between the two countries regarding Iran's nuclear program.
Following a series of missile attacks attributed to Iran-backed proxies against countries in the region, the United States imposed sanctions on an Iranian procurement agent and his affiliated companies, accusing them of supporting Iran's ballistic missile program. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh accused the United States of continuing to violate a United Nations resolution that affirmed the 2015 nuclear agreement, despite American claims to the contrary.
Collapse of talks and retaliatory sanctions By early April 2022, negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal had stalled, with no breakthrough after months of indirect talks. In response, an Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman accused the United States of causing the impasse. Days later, Iran imposed sanctions on 15 additional U.S. officials, including former Army Chief of Staff George Casey and former President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reaffirmed Iran's right to develop its nuclear industry for peaceful purposes and called on all parties involved in the negotiations to respect that right. Around the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated that U.S. President Joe Biden should lift certain sanctions as a sign of good faith toward restarting the nuclear agreement.
Soleimani-related threats and diplomatic impasse Tensions deepened in April 2022 when a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards declared that even the assassination of all American leaders would not be sufficient to avenge the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani, who was commander of the Quds Force at the time of his death in 2020. About a week later, a senior Iranian figure warned that Iran would not abandon plans to avenge Soleimani's death, despite what Iranian officials described as "frequent proposals" from the U.S. to ease sanctions and offer concessions. The United States stated that if Iran sought sanctions relief beyond the terms of the 2015 deal, such as the delisting of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, it would also need to address American concerns that go extending the nuclear issue.
Shift in U.S. position and continued sanctions By May 2022, the United States signaled that it was prepared for either outcome: a return to mutual compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal or a continued absence of agreement. The same month the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, accusing it of participating in a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network. Additional sanctions followed in June, targeting Chinese and Emirati companies, as well as a network of Iranian firms, accused of facilitating the sale of Iranian petrochemicals. The action aimed to pressure Tehran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal.