The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, is a multilateral agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers. Its primary objective was to ensure that Iran's nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. The deal is currently dormant, with ongoing efforts and diplomatic initiatives attempting to revive its original framework amidst complex geopolitical dynamics.
The JCPOA was the culmination of years of intense negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons capabilities. Under the agreement, Iran significantly curtailed its uranium enrichment program, reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium, and allowed for extensive international inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In return, the United Nations, European Union, and United States lifted crippling sanctions on Iran. This represented a historic diplomatic achievement, drawing parallels to earlier arms control treaties, such as the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties (SALT) between the US and USSR, by establishing verifiable limitations on sensitive nuclear activities.
The agreement's viability was severely impacted when the United States unilaterally withdrew from it in May 2018, reimposing sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually began to breach the JCPOA's restrictions, increasing its uranium enrichment levels and expanding its nuclear infrastructure beyond the limits set by the deal.