Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) and Maximum Pressure Campaign
The IAEA confirmed Iran was fully complying with the JCPOA when Trump withdrew. His 'maximum pressure' campaign reimposed crippling economic sanctions, including on Iran's banking system, oil exports, and humanitarian goods. Iran resumed enrichment and crossed successive JCPOA limits. The campaign ended with the assassination of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 and Iran further accelerating its nuclear program — ultimately leaving Iran closer to a bomb than when the deal was in force.
Record summary
Grade
Grade 5 of 5: War Crime / Crime Against Humanity
Conduct that satisfies the legal elements of a war crime under the Rome Statute (Article 8), a crime against humanity (Article 7), or genocide (Article 6). Scale and definitions
- Status
- Concluded
- Incident date
- Record updated
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Category
- Foreign Policy & War
- Legal posture
- Reported
- War-crime classification
- Enabling conduct
- Verification
- Independently verified
- ICC relevance
- No
- Sources
- 5 cited
- Stable ID
jcpoa-iran-deal-withdrawal- Victims
- Iranian civilians denied access to medicines and humanitarian goods; the broader international non-proliferation regime; regional populations at increased risk from an accelerated Iranian nuclear program
- Alleged responsible parties
- Donald Trump, President of the United States— White House
- Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State— State Department
- John Bolton, National Security Advisor— National Security Council
Key points
- The IAEA had certified Iranian compliance with the JCPOA in every quarterly report since the deal took effect in January 2016; Iran had removed two-thirds of its centrifuges, reduced its enriched uranium stockpile by 98%, and submitted to extensive inspections
- All five other signatories — the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China — opposed U.S. withdrawal and attempted to keep the deal alive; the EU created a special vehicle (INSTEX) to allow humanitarian trade with Iran while circumventing U.S. sanctions
- Trump's maximum pressure sanctions reimposed all nuclear-related sanctions and added new ones targeting Iran's banking system and oil sector; Iran's economy contracted sharply and inflation surged
- UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman documented in 2019 that U.S. sanctions were obstructing Iran's access to medicines, medical equipment, and humanitarian goods for civilians
- Following U.S. withdrawal, Iran incrementally stepped back from JCPOA commitments: it exceeded the uranium stockpile limit in June 2019, began enriching uranium to higher levels, and eventually resumed enrichment at the Fordow facility buried in a mountain
- By the time Biden took office in 2021, Iran had accumulated enough enriched uranium for multiple nuclear weapons and had significantly advanced its enrichment capacity — making a return to the original deal terms far more difficult to negotiate
Overview
The JCPOA was the most comprehensive nuclear non-proliferation agreement in a generation. Iran had verifiably dismantled major portions of its nuclear infrastructure, and the IAEA confirmed compliance every quarter. Trump withdrew anyway, on the grounds that the deal did not address Iranian ballistic missiles, regional influence, or conduct — factors that were explicitly outside the JCPOA's scope and had been set aside to achieve the narrower goal of constraining the nuclear program.
The withdrawal's consequences were the opposite of the stated intention. By 2021, Iran had more enriched uranium, more advanced centrifuges, and fewer inspection requirements than it had in 2015 before the deal.
Maximum Pressure and Civilian Impact
The "maximum pressure" sanctions reimposed after withdrawal were not limited to nuclear-related trade. They targeted Iran's entire economy. The banking sanctions created severe difficulties for humanitarian transactions: international banks refused to process any Iran-related transfers to avoid U.S. secondary sanctions, meaning Iranian hospitals had trouble paying for medicine and medical equipment from legitimate suppliers.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran documented in 2019 that the sanctions were obstructing the import of medicines including chemotherapy drugs, and that the restrictions were violating the human rights of ordinary Iranian citizens who had no role in the government's nuclear or regional policies.
The Non-Proliferation Damage
The JCPOA was not just a bilateral U.S.-Iran agreement. It was endorsed by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2231. The United States' unilateral withdrawal — over the explicit objections of its European allies and in defiance of the IAEA — damaged the credibility of the international non-proliferation architecture. If the U.S. can withdraw from a verified-compliance deal on political grounds, it undermines the incentive for any country considering nuclear negotiations.
North Korea cited U.S. behavior on the JCPOA as a reason not to trust American commitments in their own denuclearization discussions.
International law engaged
| Instrument | Provision | What it protects or prohibits |
|---|---|---|
| UN Security Council Resolution 2231 | Full resolution | Endorsed the JCPOA and the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions; U.S. reimposition of sanctions violated commitments made in a UNSC resolution |
| Convention Against Torture / ICESCR | Various | Maximum pressure sanctions restricted access to medicines and humanitarian goods for Iranian civilians; UN Special Rapporteur documented sanctions impeding medical imports |
Update log
-
Updated with post-Soleimani withdrawal from JCPOA limits.
Sequence of events
-
JCPOA signed
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is finalized between Iran, the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China (P5+1). Iran agrees to remove two-thirds of its centrifuges, reduce enriched uranium stocks by 98%, accept the Additional Protocol allowing intrusive IAEA inspections, and redesign its Arak heavy-water reactor. In exchange, nuclear-related sanctions are lifted.
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JCPOA implementation day
Iran completes its required steps; nuclear-related sanctions are lifted. The IAEA begins quarterly compliance verification.
-
Trump withdraws from JCPOA
Over the objections of all European allies, the IAEA, and most of his own foreign policy establishment, Trump signs a presidential memorandum withdrawing the U.S. from the JCPOA and directing the reimposition of all sanctions. He calls the deal 'defective at its core.'
-
Sanctions reimposed — oil and banking
The second wave of U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector and banking system takes effect. Iran's oil exports plunge from 2.5 million barrels per day to under 300,000. The Iranian rial loses 60% of its value.
-
Iran exceeds uranium stockpile limit
Iran announces it has exceeded the 300 kg enriched uranium stockpile limit set by the JCPOA — the first formal step back from the agreement. Iran frames the move as a proportional response to U.S. withdrawal and calls on Europe to implement promised sanctions relief.
-
Soleimani assassination — Iran withdraws from remaining JCPOA limits
Following the U.S. assassination of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, Iran announces it will no longer observe any limits under the JCPOA on its enrichment program. Iran's nuclear escalation accelerates.
-
Biden inherits a broken deal
When Biden takes office, Iran has accumulated enough enriched uranium for approximately two nuclear weapons and operates 10 times more advanced centrifuges than when the deal was signed — making a return to the original deal terms nearly impossible to negotiate.
Sources
- IAEA verified Iran compliance before U.S. withdrawal — International Atomic Energy Agency
- Trump Withdraws U.S. From Iran Nuclear Deal — The New York Times
- UN Special Rapporteur: U.S. sanctions impede Iran's access to medicine — UN Special Rapporteur on Iran archived ✓
- The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) at a Glance — Arms Control Association archived ✓
- Iran nuclear deal: Key details — BBC News