For years, US policy in the Middle East has been bedevilled by Iran and, in particular, by its nuclear programme, which has dominated all other aspects of US-Iranian relations. Three successive US administrations have faced the problem of determining whether Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and, whether or not it is doing so, what policies to pursue. All three administrations have said that an Iranian bomb is unacceptable; all three have supported Israel's deep concerns on this score; and all three have endorsed measures intended to ensure that the Iranian nuclear programme, insofar as it cannot be halted altogether, focuses on peaceful power generation.
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