With Trump gone, is the Iran nuclear deal back? In 2015, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Russia signed the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA) with Iran. In return for Iran significantly curtailing its nuclear programme (and allowing monitoring and verification by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency), Western powers agreed to lift economic sanctions.

However, in May 2018, the US decided to unilaterally withdraw from the Iran deal, which then-President Donald Trump bombastically labelled “the single worst deal I’ve ever seen drawn by anybody”. The Trump administration argued the deal didn’t address Iran’s ballistic missile programme, nor did it prevent Iran from providing weapons, training and money to militias and other non-state actors across the region (including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen).

What do our readers think? We had a comment come in from Marko, who argues the EU should play a key role as a mediator between the US and Iran in order to save the deal. Is he right? What role should Europe play? And, if successful, should we consider the salvaging of the Iran nuclear deal an EU diplomatic victory?

To get a response, we put Marko’s comment to Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association. What would she say?

For another perspective, we also put Marko’s comment to Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group. How would he respond?

Next up, we had a comment from Παυλος, who thinks leadership on all sides was ultimately to blame for the stalling of the Iran nuclear deal. With the recent change in the US administration, however, can the deal be saved?

Finally, we had a comment come in from Ivan, who worries that Iran could have “a fully functional nuke ready to hit Madrid with a week”.

Is that a serious risk? To get an expert response, we put Ivan’s comment to Ali Vaez from Crisis Group. What would he say to Ivan?

Can the Iran nuclear deal be saved? Is the Iran nuclear deal an EU diplomatic victory? How long would it take Iran to develop and deliver a nuclear weapon? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!

IMAGE CREDITS: BigStock – (c) masoud rezaipoor


87 comments Post a commentcomment

What do YOU think?

  1. avatar
    Крис

    The EU can’t do anything. It’s just an economic union and not even a good economic union. The world powers are four: The USA, The British Commonwealth, Russia and China. EU is nowhere near them.

    • avatar
      Moha

      Крис Караджов bwa Eu is a way to prevent colonization and further divide the world amongst the super powers with the exception of the eu Divided and conquered and still being divided Until all superpowers have a bit of Europe on their plate

    • avatar
      Antonio

      Крис Караджов forget about the British Commonwealth. Canada Australia New Zealand are indipendent countries and are not likeminded with the UK in a lot of international issues.

    • avatar
      Ribiz

      The EU is just a technocratic organisation helping multinationals to become the leader of the “One Planet” … to keep up with the greenish agreements and orientations of the elite meeting up around specific Round Tables …

  2. avatar
    Крис

    The EU can’t do anything. It’s just an economic union and not even a good economic union. The world powers are four: The USA, The British Commonwealth, Russia and China. EU is nowhere near them.

  3. avatar
    Casaluna

    Why discuss with a Kindergarten minded state ?

  4. avatar
    Jurgen

    Europe is only a money pit for ritch country’s and santa for the poor.

  5. avatar
    Serguei

    First, you should understand that EU is not Europe…

  6. avatar
    Thierry

    You don’t discuss with countries like those ones.

  7. avatar
    Pierre

    Does Biden know were Iran is? Last time he confused Afghanistan with Irak.

  8. avatar
    catherine benning

    Can the Iran nuclear deal be saved?

    There never was an Iran deal. Anyone who believes this existed on any level is delusional. It was simply set up as a trade catalyst to pretend a coming together of minds in some mutual belief. It was not and is not something genuinely considered enforceable by any of the players involved.

    And the Twit Biden with his giggler side kick know it. Americans are now so infantile they believe anything. More seriously, if you try to discuss their lack of understanding politics and the inane insistence we go along with it, they get infantile and call ‘cancel’ in silly kindergarten tones. Take a look at red jacket prince along with his Klingon feminist hurry come up.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB2JxOchMlw&ab_channel=TheBodyLanguageGuy

    They seriously believe in Royal blood. Hilarious when you consider neither of them has any. However, it is what you identify as on any given day that matters, isn’t it?

  9. avatar
    Jan

    What about human rights in Iran. Can those be saved?

  10. avatar
    Gaston

    Thank you for organising an european health service

  11. avatar
    Onmisbare

    The E.U. shouldn’t get involved. Both sides hate us anyway. And no matter what we do we will always be criticized for it. So why should we care? Moreover: Europe stands nothing to gain from supporting either side. Let the rest of the world sort their own problems out, we should concentrate on our own; we have enough on our plate ourselves. We can’t even solve our own existential issues, but we will throw away resources and money at this never ending saga? And then common Europeans will still be blown up in their own cities as a way of saying thank you by Islamists and Mossad. There are plenty of problems threatening to destroy Europe, but Israel’s and Iran’s conflict isn’t part of that. Build a wall around Europe, give us real borders again, that’s all common Europeans ask – and not the E.U. meddling in these foreign affairs.

  12. avatar
    Ribiz

    EU should split up into sovereign state to see a better world… So far geopolitic is the main purpose of the USA … and this is extremely well explained in a nutshell: In-Depth International Relations Analysis : The European Migration Mo vement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zAl_WEMrmo&list=PL1vNLZF5gfweVpbWmOhb8rFksCeW2J2YB&index=11 25:060:28​ – Description of the European Refugee Crisis0:52​ – Origin of the Migrants / How did they enter Europe (Routes)?3:50​ – War affected regions in the Middle East4:57​ – Causes of Migration5:56​ – What is the real reason behind European Migration8:09​ – How USA uses Liberalism & Democracy to gain control (Indian Example)12:20​ – Rise of the Neo-Conservatives in the American Politics14:22​ – Iraq invasion and Syrian invasion17:14​ – Sudden incoming of Migrants in Europe caused serious problem20:13​ – Explained the Insider – Outsider theory22:03​ – Summary of the European Migration Crisis23:06​ – Difference in Eastern & Western culture / value / philosophy24:21​ – Final thoughts & conclusion!
    [PHOTO] https://external.flcg1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQHv441GuaQ7ZZ22&w=396&h=222&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F9zAl_WEMrmo%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&ccb=3-5&_nc_hash=AQGG-NyOncYe6rQP

  13. avatar
    Henkie

    Onmiddellijk Iedereen naar eigen land van herkomst ouders ! Grenzen dicht ! En als we ons 3 weken aan de regels houden, is corona hier weg ! Dank u

  14. avatar
    Mbugua

    Europe ,USA,China, Russia have bombs too why not others?

    • avatar
      Sanya

      Mbugua Moses why no one is much better Q ?

    • avatar
      Mbugua

      Sanya San Absolutely..

  15. avatar
    Carolus

    Maybe Israël will nuke them before they have it.

  16. avatar
    Tim

    ISLAM SHOULD NEVER EVER GET NUKES POINTING AT SUICIDE BOMBERS 1 DIRTY BOMB IS ALL IT TAKES AND ISLAM GET PEOPLE THAT NUTS THEY WILL DO IT

  17. avatar
    Ribiz

    I fully agree with Julian Assange observation : High Tech liberalism and Islam are the two most hegemonistic, aggressive ideologies that humanity has encountered so far ! They will destroy democracy in the realm of neoliberalism. Assange hasn’t seen arising any decent alternative to these both expansionisms so far. Future is dark. Painful myserie is increasing.

  18. avatar
    Farhad

    Afghanistan is the most powerful country in the world we keek out UK Russia and its time to America

  19. avatar
    Panayiotis

    Yes the deal must work again, superpowers have oblication to stop any further spread of nuclear tec

  20. avatar
    Tyler Moseley

    I think it’s a safer option to just be straight with the Iranians. If they make a nuclear weapon, we will give them hell.

  21. avatar
    George

    ” increasingly vocal opposition” – by whom? USA or Israel?
    What kind of “efforts” did Biden do? All USA have to do is recommit to what was already a done deal, which USA broke.

  22. avatar
    ReRebellis

    EU sucks!EU does nothing!EU is too expensive!EU is not a democracy!EU is useless.#euxit

  23. avatar
    Steve

    You can’t make a deal with notorious liers

  24. avatar
    Pascal

    Things will probably work out better if the EU doesn’t get involved. One clown across the pond is enough, don’t need an entire circus.

  25. avatar
    Lecomte

    avec une TRONCHE pareille , on a compris , GG

  26. avatar
    Alain

    Everybody knows that Iran is cheating, they want the bomb. And they are crazy enough to use it.

  27. avatar
    Gianni

    He Is better than Komeiny…nobody remember him????…Us embassy…ostage…he was really a devil.

  28. avatar
    Hercule

    l’UE est une grande famille de mafieux

  29. avatar
    Viviane

    HET WAS GEEN FAIR VERKIEZING DAAR ER AL VELEN BUITEN SPEL GEZET WAREN EN DEZE EEN FAVORIETJE IS VAN DE IMAN DIE NOG CONSERVATIEVER IS DAN DE VORIGE EIKEL , RAAD IK OM GEEN DEALS TE MAKEN MET IRAN !!!

  30. avatar
    Willy

    A deal with the devil is to sell your soul.

  31. avatar
    Colda

    as America to much noise make against Putin ,can be that iran get nuke from putin

  32. avatar
    Michèle

    Attention catastrophe. ..danger. ……..

  33. avatar
    Ronald

    nooit handels akoord sluiten met iran of iet van hun bevolking toelaten op ons grondgebied ook hun buurlanden niet zijn tirannen

  34. avatar
    Rebecca

    how do you feel? What kind of stupid questions are these? If a country is capable to destroy others with nuclear weapons, i wouldn’t feel excactly surprised if some day they actually are going to use it. Europe does nothing, its always bla bla bla, but never they take action or responsibility. They want to be the big shots in the world, but only think about their own political reputation , and their people or people in other countries who suffer consequences, to them: that is a side effect. How do you feel…

  35. avatar
    Ribiz

    a debate ???? over what exactly ???? what has oncle ben told, is what eu does

  36. avatar
    Momo

    If Israël can do what ever they want why not Iran ? They have more reasons , there are home !

  37. avatar
    Eddy

    Toppunt van al inde usa werken er ongeveer 300 Iraniërs in de nucleaire sector

  38. avatar
    Gabriel

    Deze Schurkenregime nooit steunen geen handel mee drijven !

  39. avatar
    Marie

    J’ai adoré. Il a dit non pour biden

  40. avatar
    Rudy

    Het zal doodgewoon hetzelfde blijven ,die gasten verstaan het NOOIT

  41. avatar
    Anne-Marie

    Pauvre peuple iranien , il ne voit pas le bout du tunnel …..

  42. avatar
    Michel

    trop de pétrole en Iran, ça finira mal…

  43. avatar
    Miguel

    Iran has nukes! Yes, we all should be worried. But we also have retards such as him infiltrated in our society. And our EU immigration policies are allowing it. So, we should be worrying some more

  44. avatar
    George

    Why do you care? Shouldn’t you be asking : – “Why is Germany and some countries in western Europe becoming a hotbed for Islamic fundamentalism the past 15 years?” And what “nuclear deal” are you talking about? USA broke up the deal, so there’s no “deal” thanks to USA.

  45. avatar
    Karel

    It is the EU who legitimises this criminal by being present at his inauguration with an EU diplomat. Not in my name.

  46. avatar
    Yola

    Every people has the government it deserves.

  47. avatar
    Nikolas

    Emad Kangarani do you have any opinion on this?

    • avatar
      Emad

      Nikolas Spanoudakis very interesting article. I’m not sure man, but I think after the last Iranian elections (with victory for conservatives and general boycott by middle classes) and acceptance of Iran as a member of SCO, at least in the rhetorical scale, Iran now has less motives to resume the talks. On European side I think under Mogherini Europe was more active and decisive in decision making but now is more like an anxious desperate bystander.

  48. avatar
    Marcel

    Nowadays, bombs are not influence. Bombs start wars, protect bully’s and don’t win wars. Consider all the countries that have the most bombs at the moment?

    Let Iran have what they think they need. They are just looking for recognition that does not fit into the Western mainstream narrative. Are they really going to detonate a nuclear bomb on their doorstep?

    If they are smart, they will figure it out soon enough and find other ways for recognition. If not, they will just join the bully club and spend good GDP on arms.

    The last time a bomb won a war was in 1945 and the world, including Iran, does not want to go there again.

  49. avatar
    Anton

    If Europe would have stayed put on their climate promises from day 1, Iran wouldn’t even have the money to do so in the first place. (And we would have E-fuel for a long time now)

  50. avatar
    Tiago

    I am concerned about mass migration to europe!!!!!

  51. avatar
    Jurgen

    je honest… let them or destroy them! no backdoor politics

  52. avatar
    Zafer

    When other country,s make beter guns than US its always a problem for them

  53. avatar
    Jérôme

    why would they agree to a deal that would limit their option, wrong or right, when they already agreed to one that was toss away but the first clown coming by the usa white house xd

  54. avatar
    Pascal

    Does Europe realise they have been importing the enemy for decades?

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