President Barack Obama heads into the final quarter of his presidency with a string of wins, including an Asia-Pacific trade agreement and the historic nuclear accord with Iran.

But Obama's last year as president also challenges anew his restrained approach to international crises, particularly in the Middle East. Americans' fears of attacks on U.S. soil are heightened, and a string of mass shootings have exposed his limits to controlling gun access.

Obama now stares down 11 months before his successor is elected in a referendum on his leadership at home and abroad.

The president's final year will be packed with foreign travel, including a likely visit to Cuba. His legislative agenda is slim. But he's also eying provocative executive actions, including gun purchases and closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

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