Periodic alerts providing news and analysis on the negotiations and implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between the P5+1 (China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and Iran over the latter's nuclear program. To receive these by email, subscribe to our regular updates list.
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U.S. Seeks Iran Arms Embargo Extension | P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert
May 13, 2020
The Trump administration is considering a range of options to prevent the October 2020 expiration of a UN embargo that restricts arms sales to and from Iran, including by making a legal case that the United States remains a participant of the JCPOA. The United States is continuing its maximum pressure campaign against Iran throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite facing economic hardship, Iran unveiled a new military-led space program and launched a new satellite in April.
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Iran Delays Announcing Nuclear Achievements | P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert
April 15, 2020
Iran has delayed announcing updates on its nuclear achievements, perhaps due to the COVID-19 outbreak, though the IAEA is continuing inspections in the country. The United States has renewed sanctions waivers on four cooperative projects in the nuclear deal and Europe's new trade facilitation vehicle has made its first successful transaction.
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IAEA Raises Safeguards Questions | P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert
March 18, 2020
The IAEA released two new reports detailing Iran’s implementation of its broad and JCPOA-specific safeguards agreements with the Agency, indicating that Iran has not taken further steps to breach the nuclear deal. The members of the governing JCPOA Joint Commission met in Vienna in an attempt to salvage the deal, and a trade channel opened to facilitate necessary humanitarian trade with Iran.
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IAEA Head Notes No New Breaches by Iran | P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert
February 13, 2020
Iran has taken no additional steps to violate the JCPOA after announcing its fifth breach earlier this year, the IAEA head reports. Despite triggering the deal’s dispute resolution mechanism, Europe remains committed to preserving the agreement and will continue to push back against Washington’s pressure to abandon the accord, according to the EU foreign policy chief.
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Iran Announces New Nuclear Deal Breach | P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert
January 9, 2020
Iran announced its fifth breach of the JCPOA on Jan. 5 but stated it would continue to cooperate fully with the IAEA. Iran did not withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and remains party to the NPT. In response to the violation, European members of the JCPOA threatened again to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism, which could incur a snapback of UN sanctions lifted under the deal, but Russia and China appear less concerned.