The US and Iran in a deadlock over the 2015 nuclear agreement

In July 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the US, the UK, France, Germany and Russia. The agreement came after years of tensions over Iran’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons. Despite the allegations, Iran insists that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. Nevertheless, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities under the 2015 accord.

In 2018, however, the deal was jeopardised following the withdrawal of the US from the agreement under President Trump’s administration. In retaliation to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran resumed its nuclear activities. 

In 2020, tensions between the US and Iran had been exacerbated further after the US conducted a drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general. Iran responded by firing missiles at Iraqi bases where American troops were stationed.

In the same year, Iran admitted accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian airplane killing 176 people. The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, stated that he deeply regrets the incident and blames the tensions between Iran and the US for the mistake that led to the crash of the airplane. The US respondent to the Iranian missile attack with sanctions, signalling that the tensions could cool off. 

Iran’s nuclear weapons program has escalated tensions in the Middle East region and it raised concerns over a potential conflict between Iran and its regional rivals, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The US, under President Biden, showed willingness to re-join the JCPOA and called Iran to comply with the terms of the agreement and to ease tensions in the region. Analysts, however, have said that a renewed diplomacy between the US and Iran would face numerous political obstacles due to the rising tensions within the Middle Eastern region.

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, has stated that Iran will return to its commitments under the 2015 deal when all the US sanctions are lifted.

The deal was meant to provide Iran relief from international sanctions in the first place, in exchange for limitations to the Iranian nuclear program. Since the tensions between the US and Iran, however, new sanctions have been imposed towards Iran. 

Currently, there is a standstill between the US and Iran as each country demands the other to make the first move. The US and the European Union have called Iran to join a round of informal talks in regards to the JCPOA, but Iran insists that it will not attend any talks if the US sanctions are not lifted.  When the two countries will exit this deadlock is unclear, but if Iran continues its nuclear program it is highly likely that tensions in the region will increase.