So why did the 2015 0bama/Biden JCPOA nuclear agreement fail just like everything Democrats touch?
Posted by Austin Powerz on 6/20/2025, 20:15:34
Iran’s violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1 signatories occurred across multiple sites and dimensions—some overt, others more covert. Here are the key areas and locations where Iran is reported to have breached the deal:
1. Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) - Originally meant to be converted into a research facility under the JCPOA, Fordow resumed uranium enrichment using advanced centrifuges. This was suspected as early as 2017, and confirmed by remote measurement performed by the IAEA in 2019. - As of 2025, Iran has enriched uranium to 60% purity at Fordow—far beyond the JCPOA’s 3.67% limit.
2. Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant - Iran expanded its use of advanced centrifuges at Natanz, increasing its capacity to enrich uranium rapidly. - In late 2024 the IAEA reported that Natanz, combined with Fordow, could produce enough weapons-grade uranium (WGU) for multiple nuclear weapons within months.
3. Undeclared Nuclear Archives - In 2018, Israeli intelligence revealed a secret cache of documents—known as the Iran Nuclear Archive—which showed Iran had preserved detailed plans for nuclear weapons development, contrary to JCPOA disclosure requirements. - These documents suggested Iran had misled the IAEA and continued covert nuclear weapons-related research.
4. Lack of Transparency and IAEA Access - Beginning as early as 2015, Iran has restricted IAEA inspectors’ access to key sites and failed to explain the presence of undeclared nuclear material at several locations. - The IAEA has repeatedly stated that Iran’s level of cooperation has deteriorated, making verification efforts difficult.
Iran’s violations span both technical breaches (like enrichment levels and centrifuge use) and transparency failures (like hiding past weapons work and limiting inspections). These actions confirmed serious concerns about Iran’s nuclear intentions and its lack of commitment to the JCPOA framework.
As of mid-2025, just prior to the start of the war most of the original JCPOA signatories no longer treat the agreement as fully binding, though some still reference it as a diplomatic framework worth preserving or reviving.
Here’s the landscape as of just prior to the Iran-Israel War: - United States: Officially withdrew in 2018 after discovery of the Iran Nuclear Archive that proved Iran had not surrendered its nuclear plans as required. The US had never rejoined although the Biden administration attempted to revive the deal through indirect talks, those efforts failed. The U.S. no longer considers itself bound by the JCPOA’s terms. - Iran: Has significantly breached the agreement’s limits on uranium enrichment and centrifuge use. While it occasionally signals openness to diplomacy, Iran is not adhering to the JCPOA and has restricted IAEA access to key sites. - France, Germany, and the UK (the E3): These European powers initially expressed willingness to reimpose UN sanctions under the JCPOA’s “snapback” mechanism if Iran continues to violate the deal. This suggested they still viewed the agreement as a legal instrument after US withdrawal. - Russia and China: Both criticized the U.S. withdrawal and supported Iran diplomatically, but they’ve also acknowledged that the JCPOA, as originally written, was no longer functioning as intended prior to the start of the war.