Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and the 2018 US withdrawal
- Date
- 14 July 2015
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- Iran / Global
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
On 14 July 2015, after years of negotiation, Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany, with the European Union) reached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna.
Iran agreed to sharply curb its nuclear programme, cutting its enriched-uranium stockpile by about 98 percent, capping enrichment at 3.67 percent and accepting intrusive international inspections, in exchange for relief from nuclear-related economic sanctions. The deal was widely seen as a landmark of nuclear diplomacy that defused a major regional and global crisis without war. On 8 May 2018 US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions under a 'maximum pressure' policy, despite international monitors certifying Iranian compliance. Iran subsequently began breaching the deal's limits, expanding enrichment and restricting inspector access. The accord's unravelling deepened tensions between Tehran and Washington and underscored the fragility of negotiated arms-control arrangements in the region.
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Also relevant
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Further reading
The wider story
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