What is it?
The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is widely known as the "Iran nuclear deal" or the "2015 nuclear deal." Its Persian name is Barjam, an acronym of Barnâme-ye Jâme'-e Eqdâm-e Moshtarak ("Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action").
According to the Arms Control Association, the deal was concluded on July 14, 2015, between Iran and the countries known as the P5+1: China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The UN Security Council endorsed it on July 20, 2015, in Resolution 2231. The European Union also took part in the talks as coordinator.
How does it work?
The deal's basic logic was "limits in exchange for sanctions relief." Iran accepted time-bound restrictions on its nuclear program. In return, UN, EU and U.S. nuclear-related sanctions were lifted. According to the Arms Control Association's summary, the main limits were:
- Uranium enrichment was capped at 3.67% for 15 years and allowed only at the Natanz facility.
- The enriched uranium stockpile was to stay under 300 kilograms for 15 years.
- Operating centrifuges were limited to 5,060 IR-1 machines, with excess centrifuges stored under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring.
The IAEA verified implementation through extensive inspections. "Implementation Day," when the deal took effect, was January 16, 2016.
Why does it matter?
The United States withdrew from the deal on May 8, 2018, under President Trump, and reimposed its sanctions. From 2019, Iran scaled back its commitments step by step. International reports showed it enriching uranium up to 60% purity, far above the deal's limits. In 2025, the European parties triggered the deal's snapback mechanism, and UN sanctions returned in September 2025. The deal's formal "Termination Day" had been set for October 18, 2025.
Barjam remains a dividing line in Iranian domestic politics. The debate between the negotiating team and the reformist and moderate circles that defended the deal, on one side, and the principlist camp that was skeptical of it from the start, on the other, also shapes how new negotiation efforts are received.
Debates
The parties tell different stories about why the deal collapsed. Supporters of the U.S. withdrawal argued that the deal didn't cover the missile program or regional activities, and that some limits would expire after a set period. Iran sees the U.S. withdrawal, and Europe's failure to deliver on its economic commitments, as the core violations.
