The Heat: Iran Nuclear Deal

The Heat

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With talks at a stalemate, what is the future of the Iran nuclear deal?

The U.S. State Department has called former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 a “strategic blunder.” It also said Washington has no desire to revive the agreement since Tehran “cannot be trusted.” 

But reports in Iranian and Israeli media indicate American officials are maintaining backchannel communications with their Iranian counterparts. 

Meanwhile, the European Union’s foreign policy chief has stated there is no alternative to the nuclear deal, adding “those who think otherwise simply fool themselves.” 

 In 2015, the U.S., U.K., China, France, Germany, Russia, the European Union, and Iran agreed to the deal. It’s called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the JCPOA. It’s meant to ensure Tehran’s nuclear program would be peaceful. 

Three years later, the U.S. unilaterally walked away from the accord. With Iran facing economic headwinds and more sanctions from the West, can the JCPOA be saved?

Joining the discussion: 

  • John Ghazvinian is the executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Middle East Center.
  • Samuel Ramani is an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
  • Anton Fedyashin is a professor of history at American University.
  • Mohammad Marandi is the chair of the North American Studies Department at the University of Tehran.