Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations 

In news

• USA and Iran would begin negotiations through intermediaries to try to get back into an accord limiting Iran’s nuclear programme. 

Key takeaways 

• The announcement marked the first major progress in efforts to return both countries to the 2015 accord, which bound Iran to restrictions on its nuclear programmes in return for relief from U.S. and international sanctions.
• USA’s previous President Donald Trump had pulled the USA out of the accord in 2018 and imposed tougher sanctions on Iran. 
• Iran responded by intensifying its enrichment of uranium and building of centrifuges, while maintaining its insistence that its nuclear development was for civilian and not military purposes.
• Iran’s moves increased pressure on major world powers and raised tensions among U.S. allies and strategic partners in West Asia.
• Agreement on the start of indirect talks came after the EU helped broker a virtual meeting of officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran, which have remained in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) accord