Jimmy Carter's foreign policy legacy extends beyond his time as president.

Jimmy Carter, the former president who lived long enough to witness the re-election of Donald Trump but passed away before the beginning of the new year, has a foreign policy legacy that extends beyond his time in office.

Despite suffering a decisive defeat by President Ronald Reagan in 1980, the former Georgia governor continued to pursue his ambitions.

Carter is widely recognized for his selfless work with Habitat for Humanity even in his 90s, and he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts in peace negotiations. However, some criticized the ex-president for interfering in international affairs without an official title.

Carter's world stage forays, as president and beyond, are worth examining.

Unauthorized North Korea peace treaty

In 1994, Bill Clinton was in office and facing a standoff with North Korea over their nuclear program. The U.S. contemplated imposing sanctions and even considered a preemptive strike on North Korea's nuclear facilities to destroy their capabilities.

Carter received invitations from North Korea to visit and was eager to negotiate a peace agreement. However, Clinton weighed his options and Carter called, having already negotiated the framework of the agreement without authorization.

Carter, accompanied by a CNN crew, reached an agreement with North Korea and informed Clinton about it before going on CNN to make the announcement. This move angered the Clinton White House, as detailed in Douglas Brinkley's book, "The Unfinished Presidency."

Carter was invited to dinner by Kim Il-Sung, but he lied about the U.S. stopping sanctions at the U.N. Clinton was forced to accept the peace deal and abandon the pursuit of sanctions.

Carter's talks with Kim Il-Sung may have prevented conflict with North Korea in the 1990s. However, the country still pursued nuclear weapons and obtained them in 2006.

Carter tells Arab states to abandon US in Bush's Gulf War

In the Middle East, Carter stated that he could have resolved the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in a second term, a feat that no president has accomplished yet.

If I had been reelected, with my regional prestige, authority, influence, and reputation, we could have achieved a final solution, he stated in a 2003 interview with The New York Times.

During the 1990s, Carter formed a close friendship with Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and advised him on how to present a more moderate image to the West, despite Arafat continuing to lead attacks on Israel and initiate the Second Intifada in 2000.

President George H.W. Bush launched the Persian Gulf War after Iraq's Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and Carter was vehemently opposed to the idea. Five days before Bush's deadline for Hussein to withdraw, Carter wrote to leaders of nations on the U.N. Security Council and key Arab states – Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria – imploring them to abandon the U.S. and its war efforts.

"You should publicly call for a delay in the use of force while Arab leaders seek a peaceful solution to the crisis. Although you may not receive approval from the White House, you will have the support of the French, Soviets, and others. Additionally, most Americans will appreciate such a move."

Brent Scowcroft, the former national security adviser, accused Carter of violating the Logan Act by negotiating with foreign governments as a private citizen.

Carter meets with Hamas, angering Bush administration

In 2008, Condoleezza Rice publicly criticized Carter for meeting with Hamas, a designated terrorist group, despite the administration's explicit warning against it.

Carter's meeting with Hamas could create confusion about the U.S.'s stance on working with the group, according to Rice.

Rice stated that she did not want any confusion and emphasized that the United States would not engage with Hamas, as they had previously informed President Carter that meeting with them would not aid in achieving a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.

After his presidency, Carter, a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, asserted that Israel's policies were a more severe form of apartheid than what South Africa had practiced.

Egypt-Israel peace treaty

In 1978, the prospect of Egypt and Israel normalizing relations came to a halt when President Anwar Sadat of Egypt proposed ending contact with the Israelis.

In September of that year, Carter invited Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David for negotiations. After more than a week of mediation, Carter reached an agreement between the two sides, which was later known as the Camp David Accords. Six months later, Egypt became the first Arab state to establish relations with Israel.

The assassination of Sadat in 1981 was a result of Arab fury over the peace agreement that included the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and a "pathway" for Palestinian self-rule in Gaza.

Normalization of US-China relations

In 1978, Carter established formal U.S. relations with China, ending decades of hostility between the two nations. However, this move was controversial as it involved rescinding a defense treaty with Taiwan.

The Taiwan Relations Act was passed by Congress to ensure that Taiwan remains capable of defending itself against any attempts to take it over.

1979 Iranian hostage crisis

In 1979, Carter and the Iranian regime's shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, had a strategic relationship, with Carter remaining silent on his own questionable human rights record as the shah's grip on power weakened.

The shah's oppressive policies in Iran sparked protests, but Carter remained supportive, worried about the potential outcome if he didn't: the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In January 1979, Pahlavi fled into exile and Carter initially resisted requests to grant him refuge in the U.S. before allowing him to seek cancer treatment in New York City in October of that year. On November 4, Iranian students angry at the decision stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages.

Carter's term was marked by a hostage crisis that lasted until the end, and for many, this event defined his legacy on the world stage. In April 1980, without any resolution, Carter opted for a military rescue.

The mission in Tehran resulted in a devastating outcome: a sandstorm caused several helicopters to crash, resulting in the death of eight special forces members. Iran seized U.S. equipment and intelligence following the incident.

President Ronald Reagan's inauguration on Jan. 20, 1981, led to the release of the hostages.

Signing Panama Canal back to Panama

Carter's Panama Canal treaties have been brought back into the spotlight by President-elect Trump, who mused on Tuesday that Carter lost the 1980 election due to offering control of the canal to Panama.

Carter believed that restoring the canal would enhance U.S. relations with Latin America and guarantee tranquility in the shipping lanes, despite opposition from the right, as he feared that opposition to U.S. dominance could result in violent confrontations on the waterway.

Carter wrote in his diary that it was clear that they had defrauded the Panamanians of their canal, but he also received information that it would require 100,000 troops to safeguard the canal in the event of a rebellion.

Trump has proposed reclaiming the canal, arguing that the U.S. is overpaying for its usage and it is under Chinese control.

Trump stated that the loss of the election was mainly due to giving the Panama Canal to Panama, rather than the hostages.