Unleashing the Furies
In 2015, the Obama administration negotiated an agreement with Iran which resulted in the regulation and reduction of that nation’s nuclear program capable of producing weapons ‑ grade material in exchange for sanctions relief. Specifically, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) plan was concluded by the governments of the U.S., China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, coordinated by the European Union. It resulted in a significant reduction of Iran ’ s ability to enrich uranium and sharply limited the amount of enriched material it was permitted to retain. It also established strict monitoring of its nuclear activities. The agreement had the objective of extending that nation’s “breakout” time from a few months to a year before they would reach capacity to acquire the material and technical capability to build a nuclear weapon should the agreement be broken. At the time of the deal, Iran possessed a uranium stockpile that, if further enriched, co...