The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was officially announced by President Barack Obama as an agreement reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 nations: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany. This agreement stemmed from years of negotiations focused on curbing Iran's nuclear capabilities, which had raised significant global concern over potential weaponization. The discussions gained momentum after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, signaling a willingness to engage diplomatically over the long-standing issue of Iran's nuclear program.

The JCPOA aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions that had been crippling its economy. Under the terms of the agreement, Iran agreed to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium, limit enrichment activities, and allow comprehensive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The deal was designed to extend the time it would take Iran to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb to at least one year, while providing for a range of monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance.

The announcement took place in an atmosphere of heightened tensions in the Middle East, where numerous stakeholders held differing views on Iran's nuclear ambitions. The agreement received mixed reactions domestically and internationally, with proponents arguing it was a significant step toward peace, while critics asserted it empowered Iran regionally and did not go far enough to dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Nonetheless, the JCPOA marked a crucial moment in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran, representing a potential shift from a decades-long adversarial stance.