U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities

The United States conducted airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities this weekend, including sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation, described by former President Donald Trump as a "military and diplomatic triumph," has drawn sharply divided international responses. While Israel celebrated the action as necessary to counter an "existential danger," most global powers expressed alarm at the escalation in a region already destabilized by conflict[1]. 

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was a landmark agreement between Iran and six world powers (U.S., UK, France, Germany, Russia, China) plus the European Union[2][3][4]. Its core provisions included:

Enrichment restrictions:  

  - Uranium enrichment capped at 3.67% purity (far below weapons-grade 90%)  

  - Stockpile of low-enriched uranium reduced from 10,000 kg to 300 kg  

  - Only 6,104 first-generation centrifuges permitted, with advanced models banned[2][4]  

Facility limitations:  

  - Fordow enrichment facility repurposed for non-uranium research  

  - Arak reactor redesigned to prevent plutonium production  

- Verification regime:  

  - Unprecedented IAEA monitoring, including daily inspector access  

  - Adoption of the Additional Protocol allowing surprise inspections[3][4]  

In exchange, Iran received sanctions relief, including access to $100 billion in frozen assets and reintegration into global oil markets[3][5]. The agreement extended Iran's "breakout time" for developing nuclear weapons from months to over one year[4].

President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in May 2018, calling it a "terrible, one-sided deal" and a "historic mistake"[4][5]. His administration cited three primary reasons:  

1. Sunset clauses: Provisions allowing Iran to resume advanced enrichment after 10-15 years[5].  

2. Non-nuclear issues: Lack of restrictions on ballistic missiles and Iran's regional proxy activities[4].  

3. Strategic concerns: Belief that sanctions relief funded Iranian terrorism[4][5].  

The "maximum pressure" campaign that followed reimposed crippling sanctions but prompted Iran to violate JCPOA terms starting in 2019[6]. By 2025, Iran had:  

- Increased uranium enrichment to 60% purity  

- Expanded stockpiles to 30 times JCPOA limits  

- Restricted IAEA monitoring access[6]  

How the JCPOA Could Have Prevented the Current Crisis

Had the JCPOA remained intact, experts agree the current crisis would likely have been averted:  

- Breakout prevention: The deal's verification regime would have detected any weaponization attempts early, while enrichment caps physically prevented rapid bomb development[3][4].  

- Diplomatic channel: Ongoing dialogue through the JCPOA framework provided conflict resolution mechanisms absent since 2018[7].  

- Escalation buffer: With breakout time at 12+ months, military action wouldn't have been viewed as urgently necessary[4][6].  

Instead, the collapse of the agreement created a vacuum where diplomatic options dwindled as Iran accelerated its nuclear program. By June 2025, Iran's reduced breakout window and restricted IAEA access left military action as a last-resort option for the U.S. and Israel[4][6].

Global reactions reflect deep divisions.  

The IAEA has convened an emergency meeting to assess radiation risks, though none have been detected thus far[1]. With the Middle East already grappling with multiple conflicts, this strike introduces new volatility where diplomacy once prevailed[1][7].

[1] https://www.npr.org/2025/06/22/nx-s1-5441661/world-reacts-to-u-s-strikes-on-iran-with-alarm-caution-and-some-praise

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Comprehensive_Plan_of_Action

[3] https://abc7.com/post/what-was-iran-nuclear-deal-did-trump-withdraw-us/16796863/

[4] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/the-2015-iran-nuclear-agreement-what-it-said-and-why-trump-withdrew-the-us-from-it-8730307

[5] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/iran-nuclear-deal-trump-united-states/story?id=123020009

[6] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9870/

[7] https://www.stimson.org/2024/how-to-prevent-a-nuclear-crisis-with-iran/

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_withdrawal_from_the_Joint_Comprehensive_Plan_of_Action

[9] https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/3533492/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-joint-comprehensive-plan-of-action/

[10] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/nations-around-the-world-react-to-u-s-strikes-on-iran-with-many-calling-for-diplomacy

[11] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-22/world-braces-for-iran-s-response-after-us-strikes-signal-new-era

[12] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/nuclear-agreement-%E2%80%93-jcpoa_en

[13] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html

[14] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47321

[15] https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-06-22-25-intl-hnk

[16] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-briefing-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/

[17] https://time.com/7296530/united-states-strikes-iran-world-leaders-react/

[18] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-under-missile-attack-iran-says-all-options-open-after-us-strikes-2025-06-22/

[19] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/world/middleeast/world-leaders-react-iran-strikes.html

[20] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/strikes-iran-mark-trumps-biggest-riskiest-foreign-policy-gamble-2025-06-22/

[21] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/22/everlasting-consequences-world-reacts-to-us-attacks-on-iran

[22] https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/joint-comprehensive-plan-action-jcpoa-glance

[23] https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal

[24] https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/iran/jcpoa/

[25] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Joint-Comprehensive-Plan-of-Action

[26] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_nuclear_deal_framework

[27] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/122460/full-text-of-the-iran-nuclear-deal.pdf

[28] https://theconversation.com/trumps-first-term-lies-at-the-heart-of-escalation-between-iran-and-israel-259199

[29] https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/

[30] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43902372

[31] https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17328520/iran-nuclear-deal-trump-withdraw

[32] https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-06/focus/trumps-failing-iran-policy

[33] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/policy-steps-prevent-nuclear-iran

[34] https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/iran-nuclear-deal