Certainly an element of sanctions-busting has been taking place even during the height of the sanctions pressure. But fundamentally, in 2013 the U.S. government made a strategic decision. Prior to that, particularly for about 18 months, the Iranian economy was under severe pressure. Iran was about four to six months away from a balance of payments crisis and economic collapse. In 2013 President Obama made the decision to de-escalate the sanctions pressure, to block new sanctions, and to enter a round of negotiations with Iran that culminated in the joint plan of action.
It was that fundamental decision that relieved the economic pressure, and a regime that was facing economic collapse, that was on its back, was able to get on to its knees and is now slowly rising to its feet economically.
By avoiding economic collapse we gave up economic leverage, gave up economic coercion. It's no surprise, then that the Supreme Leader has stood his ground with respect to his nuclear demands, and we have spent the last 18 months accommodating Ali Khamenei's nuclear demands.
He is no longer under economic pressure, no longer feels the threat of economic collapse, and as a result he has flipped the negotiations on the P5+1 and now is emerging with a nuclear deal such as I describe, one that has gone from our goal of dismantlement to his goal of retention, growth, and ultimately an industrial-size program that will position his government and his successor to at least have nuclear weapons, threshold capability, and certainly the choice at the time of his choosing to build atomic weapons.