Reviving The Iran Nuclear Deal: Here’s What It Involves And Why It’s Hard

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April 5th, 2021

A staff person removes the Iranian flag from the stage after a group picture with foreign ministers and representatives of the Unites States, Iran, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and the European Union during the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna on July 14, 2015. They clinched a historic deal aimed at ensuring Iran doesn’t obtain a nuclear bomb, opening up Tehran’s stricken economy.

Carlos Barria / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Both the Biden administration and Iranian leaders say they want to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement. But they’re stalled over who should take the first steps — or make the first concessions — to get there.

This week European, Russian and Chinese partners in the agreement will mediate talks in Vienna to try to bring Iran and the U.S. back in. The talks officially start Tuesday and could take days or multiple rounds.

The U.S. State Department expressed guarded optimism in a statement Friday, saying, “These remain early days, and we don’t anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward.”

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