Iran Says Reviving Nuclear Deal "Useless"

Iran declared on Saturday that efforts to resurrect the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, were becoming increasingly futile. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian addressed students at the University of Tehran, stating that as progress continued, the JCPOA lost its relevance.

Originally agreed upon in 2015, the JCPOA saw Iran agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, the deal lost its effectiveness when the United States, led by former President Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Subsequently, the re-imposition of sanctions by the U.S. deterred international banks and businesses from engaging with Iran to avoid potential repercussions from U.S. regulators.

Efforts to revive the deal under President Joe Biden have stalled since mid-2022. Amir-Abdollahian remarked that due to the disregard for Iran red lines by the other parties, there is currently no path toward returning to the agreement. However, he clarified that this does not mean the agreement has been completely discarded. If it aligns with Iran interests, they are open to accepting it despite its imperfections.

In October, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), urged the international community not to repeat the failure seen in North Korea, which now possesses nuclear weapons. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, although the UN body has faced challenges monitoring its developments since 2021.