Six years after the US withdrew from the JCPOA, prospects for its resurrection are dim and Tehran is closer than ever to a bomb
By Tom Collina, Responsible Statecraft
Six years after former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the disastrous consequences of this decision are still adding up.

In addition to Iran being closer than ever to a nuclear weapons capability, now we must consider how the declining security situation in the Middle East has raised the stakes significantly. Trump promised a “better deal” but instead we got an increasingly costly blunder that may be impossible to fix.
To fully understand the enormity of Trump’s decision to leave the Iran deal, consider this: When the U.S. and Iran were complying with the deal, it was estimated that it would take Iran about one year to produce enough fissile material (in this case, weapons grade uranium) for a nuclear bomb (known as the “breakout” time). The states negotiating with Iran (the United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, and Germany) assessed that this would be enough time to respond to possible violations and prevent Iran from producing a bomb. Even if Iran were to acquire sufficient fissile material, it could still take another year for Iran to make a deliverable nuclear weapon. As of May, 2018, the deal was working and considered (by most) to be a great success.
Recent Posts
Student Loan Payments To ICE Agents: Unpacking Trump’s “Big, Disastrous Bill”
August 1, 2025
Take Action Now Two activists arrested in the fight against Trump’s landmark legislation discuss the bill’s consequences, from student debt to…
Kamala Harris Should Not Run For President In 2028
August 1, 2025
Take Action Now A Harris 2028 campaign would remind Democratic voters of her undue loyalty to Biden, whose brand is now badly tarnished in his own…
Columbia University’s Capitulation To Trump Endangers Students
August 1, 2025
Take Action Now As Columbia pursues a second investigation into a May library protest, the university adopts a sweeping definition of antisemitism…
States Take Lead In Reining In Private Equity’s Investment In Healthcare
July 31, 2025
Take Action Now A proliferation of bad outcomes is prompting lawmakers to act.By Glenn Daigon, The Progressive The 2010 purchase of Prospect…