Reflections on U.S. Sanctions on Iran, the 2015 Iranian Nuclear Program Agreement (JCPOA) and the Current State of U.S.-Iran Bilateral Relations

This paper examines bilateral US-Iranian relations, the Iranian nuclear program and explains how the international community reached the JCPOA (Iranian Nuclear Program Agreement). It analyzes the merits of the achieved deal but also its shortcomings that led to the unilateral withdrawal from it by the Trump Administration. Furthermore, it scrutinizes the sanctions regime and the consequences of both the regime and the Agreement. Finally, after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, it examines the future of the domestic Iranian policies and the compliance of Tehran with the JCPOA provisions.