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What is the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal?

In early May 2018, then-President Donald Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement to place significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The deal was signed under former President Barak Obama's administration in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1, which includes China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the United States.

The initial aim was to unwind Iran’s nuclear program to the point that if Tehran decided to pursue a nuclear weapon it would take at least one year to develop, giving world powers time to respond.

At the time, US intelligence officials estimated that without an agreement, Iran could produce enough nuclear material for a weapon in a few months. 

After President Joe Biden entered the Oval Office, Washington and Tehran have both said they would return to the original deal, but they disagree on the steps to get there.

Under its terms, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to more extensive international inspections in exchange for the US and other countries lifting sanctions, worth billions to Iran's economy.

Iran’s compliance with the nuclear-related provisions of the JCPOA is verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an agency which recently said the country has not been transparent about the presence of nuclear material at undeclared sites in Iran.

By October 2023, the UN was supposed to lift missile restrictions under the initial agreement, whereas the EU was to terminate all remaining nuclear sanctions and the US was supposed to remove most sanctions.

But in retaliation for the US departure and for deadly attacks on prominent Iranians in 2020, including one by the United States, Iran has resumed some of its nuclear activities. 

As of May 2022, it is looking increasingly unlikely a deal can be finalised according to schedule.

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