Iran nuclear deal

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, was reached between Iran and six world powers known as the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) in July 2015.

According to this framework, Iran would redesign, convert, and reduce its nuclear facilities in order to lift all nuclear-related economic sanctions.
The deal also allowed for the tracking of nuclear activities with robust transparency and inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, claiming it did not address Iran’s ballistic missile programme or its roles in Middle Eastern conflicts.
The US also re-imposed tough economic sanctions against Iran. Iran reacted by violating many of the deal’s restrictions on its nuclear programme.

Iran’s atomic agency recently said that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached over 210 kilograms, the latest defiant move ahead of upcoming nuclear talks with the West.
Under the historic 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the World Powers, Iran was not meant to enrich uranium above 3.67%. Enriched uranium above 90% can be used for nuclear weapons.
After months of delays, the European Union, Iran and the U.S. announced recently that indirect talks to resuscitate the deal would soon resume in Vienna.
The U.S. unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, but Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have tried to preserve the accord.

About IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world’s central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field.

It works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The IAEA is an autonomous international organization within the United Nations system. It partners with more than a dozen UN organizations, thereby helping extend the reach of its services.
IAEA reports annually to the UN General Assembly.
Created in 1957, the IAEA Secretariat is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
Total Membership: 171 (including India).

The main functions of the IAEA are to:
- encourage and assist research, development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world;
- establish and administer safeguards designed to ensure that such activity assisted by the Agency is not used to further any military purpose;
- apply safeguards to relevant activities at the request of Member States;
- apply, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other international treaties, mandatory comprehensive safeguards in non-nuclear weapon States (NNWS) Parties to such treaties.

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