Iran has effectively pulled the plug on its nuclear program restrictions, marking the expiration of a landmark 10-year deal between it and Western powers. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, had placed limits on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
However, after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Iran stepped up its nuclear program, and Washington reinstated sanctions. Despite failed talks to revive the agreement, Iranian officials expressed their commitment to diplomacy. In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that all provisions of the deal were now "terminated".
The declaration has little significance due to the "snapback" mechanism triggered by the UK, Germany, and France in August. This process led to the re-imposition of UN sanctions against Iran, effectively rendering the nuclear deal's termination meaningless.
Experts describe the situation as bleak for renewed negotiations, with Arms Control Association expert Kelsey Davenport stating that the snapback has "officially buried" the agreement, casting a shadow over its future. Iranian International Crisis Group director Ali Vaez echoed this sentiment, saying that while the nuclear deal had been "lifeless" for years, the snapback mechanism has dealt a fatal blow.
The US and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran vigorously denies. Despite claims by Washington intelligence agencies that there is no evidence of atomic ambitions, both sides remain far apart in their approaches. Vaez attributes this distance to Iran's skepticism of the utility of engaging with the US given its history with President Trump and Washington's ongoing pursuit of a maximalist deal.
Iran remains open to diplomacy with the US but only if they provide guarantees against military action during potential talks. Meanwhile, tensions between the two countries continue to simmer following a 12-day war in June that targeted nuclear sites and killed over 1,000 Iranians, including hundreds of civilians.
However, after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Iran stepped up its nuclear program, and Washington reinstated sanctions. Despite failed talks to revive the agreement, Iranian officials expressed their commitment to diplomacy. In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that all provisions of the deal were now "terminated".
The declaration has little significance due to the "snapback" mechanism triggered by the UK, Germany, and France in August. This process led to the re-imposition of UN sanctions against Iran, effectively rendering the nuclear deal's termination meaningless.
Experts describe the situation as bleak for renewed negotiations, with Arms Control Association expert Kelsey Davenport stating that the snapback has "officially buried" the agreement, casting a shadow over its future. Iranian International Crisis Group director Ali Vaez echoed this sentiment, saying that while the nuclear deal had been "lifeless" for years, the snapback mechanism has dealt a fatal blow.
The US and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran vigorously denies. Despite claims by Washington intelligence agencies that there is no evidence of atomic ambitions, both sides remain far apart in their approaches. Vaez attributes this distance to Iran's skepticism of the utility of engaging with the US given its history with President Trump and Washington's ongoing pursuit of a maximalist deal.
Iran remains open to diplomacy with the US but only if they provide guarantees against military action during potential talks. Meanwhile, tensions between the two countries continue to simmer following a 12-day war in June that targeted nuclear sites and killed over 1,000 Iranians, including hundreds of civilians.
... we've got these huge powers on each other's throats again, all because of some deal that was never meant to last. Like, what even is the point of agreements if they're just gonna be disregarded anyway? 
And now this snapback mechanism comes along and just puts the nail in the coffin... it's like we've been here before, right? The US and Iran, both thinking they can outmaneuver each other. Meanwhile, the civilians are caught in the middle, paying the price for all these leaders' games 
. I mean, can't we just try to find some common ground here? But at the same time... what does that even look like anymore? 
I mean, I've had friends who are Iranian-American, and they're always like "hey, you don't understand our perspective" and I'm like "hey, I do try, but this is really hard to navigate". It's not just about Iran or the US, it's about finding a way forward that doesn't put people's lives at risk. 
and it's like, can we pls just get along? 
i mean, iran says they want diplomacy but only if the US guarantees not to mess with them, like, fair enough, right? 
but us & israel are all like "nope, you're goin down" 
. it's such a shame cuz there was hope for peace 
.
and the experts are all just shaking their heads, like "oh great, another dead deal in the books" 
the thing is, if iran really wanted nuclear capabilities, they wouldn't be playing by these rules... it's all about control and power moves 
. The snapback mechanism just seems to be a big "middle finger" from the West, and now it's all but impossible to revive the JCPOA deal 
. Can't we just talk about this like civilized human beings instead of shouting matches? 
.
And all this drama is just so unnecessary... Can't we all just talk and find a peaceful solution instead of resorting to threats and sanctions? 
I'm really hoping someone with the power to make a change will step in and try to broker some kind of peace deal.
. And what's the endgame for any of this? Is it just about maintaining power and influence? Because if that's the case, then I'm afraid we're all just pawns in some much bigger game 
. It's so bleak, you know?
. It feels like we're stuck in this endless loop of tensions and accusations, with neither side willing to give in 
. Maybe it's time for a fresh start? 
. I mean what's the point of having talks if you're just going to re-impose sanctions and make it impossible for them to come back? 
. It's like, I get that Iran has every right to feel paranoid about the US after all the drama with Trump, but can't they just try to move forward now? 
i'm not seeing how that's gonna help anyone, especially after everything that went down with trump and the whole snapback thing... 
and what about israel? do they care about all this at all? 
I'm not surprised by Iran's decision to terminate the JCPOA. In fact, it seems like a pragmatic move given the lack of progress in reviving the agreement since Trump withdrew from it 
. The fact that tensions between the two countries continue to simmer following the 12-day war in June only adds to the complexity of the situation 
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, but now it feels like the plug's been pulled 
. Iran's still open to talks tho, but only if the US can promise not to mess with them 
... hope they can get a deal done soon! 
. And now that it's been triggered... I don't see how anyone's gonna try to revive this thing again 
.
. One thing's for sure though: tensions are gonna keep simmering between the two countries until someone makes a move 
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.
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It feels like we're back to square one, and I'm not convinced that this time will be any different. 
. Can we just find a way for everyone to get along?