Explainer: How Trump's Iran nuclear deal pullout led to crisis
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump is facing the repercussions of his 2018 decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. The JCPOA, signed in 2015 under President Barack Obama, had limited Iran's nuclear activities for 15 years. However, Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018, claiming it was "one-sided," despite opposition from some national security advisers.
Nuclear escalation
Iran breaches nuclear deal after US exit
After the US exit from the JCPOA, Iran started to breach the deal's limits and ramp up its nuclear activities. It enriched uranium far beyond what was agreed upon in the 2015 accord. Today, investigators say Iran has around half a ton of uranium enriched to a level very close to what is needed for nuclear weapons, with some stored in heavily guarded underground tunnels.
Stockpile concerns
Negotiations now include long-range missiles and regional tensions
Reports suggest that Iran possesses about 11 tons of uranium at various enrichment levels. Experts warn that if further enriched, this could produce up to 100 nuclear bombs. The scope of negotiations has also widened beyond just the nuclear program to include long-range missiles, regional tensions in the Middle East, and the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil passage blocked by Iran.
Negotiation deadlock
What are the US demands?
Trump's negotiators, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are now trying to negotiate a new deal that Trump claims will be "far better" than the 2015 agreement. The main US demands include halting further uranium enrichment and handing over existing nuclear fuel stockpiles. However, both demands have been rejected by Iran.