The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a multilateral agreement finalized on July 14, 2015, between Iran and the P5+1 group—China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—plus the European Union. It was created to solve the problem of Iran's nuclear program, which the international community feared was aimed at developing nuclear weapons. The core bargain was to constrain Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
The mechanism of the JCPOA works by imposing specific, verifiable limits on Iran's nuclear fuel cycle. Key provisions included Iran agreeing to reduce its operating centrifuges to 5,060 IR-1 machines for 10 years and capping uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent purity for 15 years. Iran also agreed to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium to 300 kg for 15 years and redesign the Arak heavy-water reactor to prevent the production of weapons-grade plutonium. Compliance is verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was granted more intrusive access, including the implementation of the Additional Protocol. A Joint Commission composed of the negotiating parties monitors implementation and resolves disputes.
The JCPOA connects directly to the concept of nuclear non-proliferation and is endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. It is also related to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as the deal aimed to ensure Iran's program remained peaceful.
The agreement has changed significantly since its creation: the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 under President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions. In response, Iran began exceeding the limits set by the agreement, such as increasing its uranium enrichment levels and stockpile, though the core text of the agreement itself has not been formally amended. Diplomatic efforts to revive the deal have stalled since 2022.