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. Its purpose was to solve the problem of potential nuclear proliferation by ensuring Iran’s nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
The agreement was the culmination of negotiations that began with the interim Joint Plan of Action in November 2013, with Implementation Day occurring on January 16, 2016. Key provisions of the JCPOA required Iran to limit uranium enrichment to 3.67% for 15 years and reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium to 300 kg. It also mandated a reduction in operating centrifuges to 5,060 IR-1 machines for 10 years. Compliance is verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the deal was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 on July 20, 2015. A critical mechanism is the "snapback" provision, which allows for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions if Iran is found to be non-compliant.
The deal has undergone significant change since its creation: the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. In response, Iran began exceeding the limits in 2019, enriching uranium to higher purities, such as 60% instead of the agreed 3.67%, and increasing its stockpile. While the original agreement set October 18, 2023, as Transition Day for certain UN-mandated provisions to expire, the deal's full termination is scheduled for October 18, 2025.