JCPOA back in the headlines as Iran tensions spike and sanctions bite; deal’s fate under new pushes and regional risk. Background: pouch of 2015 agreement, Iran limits nukes in exchange for relief.
Iran's leadership is confronting the reality of war after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and recent attacks on Gulf states. Iran has inflicted significant damage, closing the Strait of Hormuz and targeting Gulf infrastructure, amid ongoing regional and global tensions.
U.S. and Israeli intelligence has reported that Iran’s estimated time to produce a nuclear weapon has remained broadly unchanged since last summer despite Operation Midnight Hammer and two months of strikes that began on Feb. 28. Officials say recent attacks have focused on conventional targets; removing Iran’s highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile will be required to change the estimate.