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Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA)

Part of International Relations — Global Issues. Common notes for UPSC Mains GS-II.

UPSC

📌 Background & Key Features

  • Original terms: Iran agreed to drastically curb uranium enrichment and centrifuge stockpiles in exchange for sanctions relief, verified through enhanced IAEA inspections.
  • Collapse trajectory: US withdrawal (2018) triggered "maximum pressure" sanctions; Iran progressively breached enrichment limits in response; European "E3" (UK, France, Germany) efforts to preserve the deal via INSTEX largely failed.
  • 2026 rupture: The February 2026 US-Israel military strikes on Iranian nuclear/military sites represent the definitive end of the diplomacy-first approach embodied by the JCPOA, shifting the standoff onto a military footing (Part 5.7).

📋 Quick Facts

Signed14 July 2015, Vienna — Iran + P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, Germany)
US withdrawalMay 2018 — Trump administration exits, reimposes sanctions
2026 statusEffectively defunct following the Feb 2026 US-Israel strikes on Iran

🔖 60-Second Revision

  • Signed: 14 July 2015, Vienna — Iran + P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, Germany)
  • US withdrawal: May 2018 — Trump administration exits, reimposes sanctions
  • 2026 status: Effectively defunct following the Feb 2026 US-Israel strikes on Iran

📝 PYQs for Practice (Mains)

YearQuestionMarks
2015In what ways would the ongoing US-Iran nuclear pact, if signed, help India, if at all, in her pursuit of a nuclear plan for the future?15