Background

• 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.

What did Iran have to do to meet the requirements of the deal?

• 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).

U.S. withdrawal from JCPOA

• 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.

Why in News?

• Iran said nuclear talks that are set to resume in Vienna should focus on lifting sanctions on the Islamic republic and “guarantees” that the U.S. will return to the fold.
• Negotiations to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed in late November, after a five-month hiatus following the election of ultraconservative Iran President Ebrahim Raisi. The talks seek to bring back the United States, after it withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then President Donald Trump and began imposing sanctions on Iran.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/tehran-seeks-assurances-as-vienna-nuclear-talks-resume/article38051078.ece