The Takeaway: What to expect in next round of Iran nuclear talks
Iran’s dismal economy; Saudi defense reforms; Sudan-Ethiopia border dispute; Israeli settlements increase in Hebron; Mosul’s robot waiter; Luxor’s long-lost fertility goddess.
The fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal) hangs in the balance as negotiators gear up for another round of talks in Vienna on Thursday.
How we got here:
-The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, Russia, China and Iran agreed to the JCPOA in July 2015. UN Security Council 2231 (2015) endorsed the nuclear deal (read the resolution and nuclear agreement here). The crux of the deal is economic sanctions relief for Iran in return for Iran’s compliance with constraints on its nuclear program, enforced by the International Atomic Energy Agency, to assure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed and added new sanctions on Iran, which affected Iran’s ability to export oil and engage in international trade and finance, hurting Iran’s economy. Iran responded by accelerating its production of highly enriched uranium (HEU), required to produce a nuclear weapon, and reducing compliance with the IAEA.
