IAEA Director Admits Obama’s Iran Deal Is Dead

(RepublicanReport.org) – In 2015, several world powers, including the US under former President Barack Obama, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In that agreement, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and allow international inspections of its facilities to ensure compliance in exchange for sanctions relief. Now, the UN’s nuclear watchdog head says Iran’s nuclear agreement “means nothing.”

In a recent interview with Izvestia, a Russian newspaper, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi admitted that “nobody applies” the stipulations laid out in JCPOA and “nobody follows it.” Grossi said there have been “attempts to revive [the agreement] in Vienna,” to no avail. He said while the parties involved were “close to success, they failed for reasons unknown to [him].” That’s because he wasn’t involved in the discussions.

Former President Donald Trump withdrew from JCPOA in 2018, stating it “failed to protect America’s national security interests.” He then re-imposed sanctions that were previously relieved as part of the deal. The parties still tied to the agreement blame mainly the United States and Iran for the JCPOA failure — referencing the Trump administration’s withdrawal. Since 2018, Iran has reportedly been out of compliance. There have been recent reports of Iran now being “weeks, not months” away from a nuclear weapon.

After taking office, President Joe Biden committed to rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement and has tried to strike a new deal with the Middle Eastern country. In 2022, he issued a sanction waiver for Iran in hopes that it would enable the international community to bring the country into nuclear compliance.

A joint statement from the countries still in JCPOA said Iran was continuing to gut the agreement by moving ahead with its nuclear program. Grossi said Russia could and should help bring Iran into compliance. Still, Iran’s nuclear chief claims his country is already “reducing its nuclear obligations” outlined in JCPOA and complying with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty agreements.