THE ROLE OF JCPOA ON US-IRAN RELATIONS: A STUDY OF DIPLOMACY AND DISTRUST

Abstract

This article investigates how the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) affects the complicated and frequently combative relationship between the United States & the Islamic Republic of Iran. Signed in 2015, the JCPOA was a historic deal intended at limiting Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, and it briefly created a way to communicate between the two long-standing adversaries. While the agreement was first viewed as a significant step toward de-escalation and nonproliferation, its execution showed strong mutual skepticism and political divisiveness in both countries. The Trump administration's unilateral departure from the accord in 2018 represented a turning point, reversing diplomatic gains and reigniting tensions. This article argues that, while the JCPOA did not fundamentally change US-Iran relations, it did highlight the potential and vulnerability of nuclear diplomacy in a context marked by mistrust along with competing geopolitical interests.

Keywords: JCPOA, US-Iran Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, Sanctions Relief, Nonproliferation, Foreign Policy, Vulnerability, Geopolitical Interests