The Shadow of the JCPOA over Elections

It has been less than two years since Iran and the P5+1 group reached a nuclear agreement in July 2015 in Vienna. This agreement was one of the main promises made by Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, during his 2013 election campaign. After months of intense negotiations in Vienna, Lausanne, Geneva, Munich, New York, and Muscat, the agreement was finalized and its implementation began about six months later. Extensive restrictions were imposed on Iran's nuclear program, and six world powers committed to lifting sanctions that had been imposed due to Iran's continued nuclear activities. The JCPOA is currently being implemented, and both sides claim that the other is adhering to its commitments, although Iran and the U.S. accuse each other of violating the spirit of the JCPOA. As Iran approaches another election, the name of the JCPOA is less frequently mentioned by election candidates. Ultimately, the second televised debate among the six presidential candidates provided an opportunity for them to discuss the JCPOA and its outcomes for the first time. In this week's sixth-hour program, we addressed the JCPOA and its dimensions and results, posing the question to listeners and experts about the role of the JCPOA in the upcoming election. Is the JCPOA and the nuclear agreement a matter for the government and the executive branch, or, as some analysts believe, is the final say in this matter taken by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic? What opportunities has the JCPOA created, and has Iran adequately taken advantage of these opportunities? Alongside listeners, two experts, Jalil Roshandel, a political science professor in the U.S., and Fereydoun Khavand, an economics professor in France, shared their analyses.