The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; , acronym: BARJAM), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union. The nuclear deal received a mixed international reaction, with many countries expressing praise or hope it could achieve the denuclearization of Iran. Some of Iran's neighbouring countries and U.S. lawmakers expressed skepticism about the agreement, seeing it as critically flawed.

Reactions to the Plan

Political and diplomatic reactions There was a significant worldwide response following the announcement of the agreement; more than 90 countries endorsed the agreement,Jacob J. Lew, "The High Price of Rejecting the Iran Deal" , The New York Times (13 August 2015). as did many international organizations.

From countries that are parties to the JCPOA

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "the most important achievement of the comprehensive agreement is that the international nuclear non-proliferation system is safeguarded. It can be said that China had played a unique and constructive role and thus is highly praised and affirmed by all parties. In the next step, there are still many matters to be attended to concerning the implementation of the agreement. China will continuously make new contribution [sic] to this end with a responsible attitude."

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, who acted as coordinator for the powers, said it could "open the way to a new chapter in international relations and show that diplomacy, coordination, cooperation can overcome decades of tensions and confrontations" and that it is "a sign of hope for the entire world". Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, congratulated the negotiating parties and said: "If fully implemented, the agreement could be a turning point in relations between Iran and the international community, paving the way to new avenues of cooperation between the EU and Iran. Geopolitically, it has the potential to be a game changer.""Statement by President Donald Tusk on the agreement on Iran's nuclear programme" , European Council (15 July 2015).

In a Bastille Day speech, President Francois Hollande praised the deal and called upon Iran to "show that it is ready to help us end" the Syrian civil war.Associated Press, "French President Hollande calls on Iran to help in Syrian conflict" U.S. News & World Report (14 July 2015). French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Monde that the pact was a "robust agreement" that would last at least a decade."Iran deal 'sufficiently robust' for 10 years, says France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius" , The Economic Times, Reuters (14 July 2015). Both Hollande and Fabius pledged that France would be "extremely vigilant" in the implementation of the agreement. Fabius visited Iran on 29 July, telling reporters in Tehran, "this deal allows the relations between our countries to develop and allows us to renew cooperation." His visit was controversial in Iran and met with public anger for several reasons.Thomas Erdbrink, "Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister, Visits Iran" , The New York Times (29 July 2015).

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the agreement was "an important success" of international diplomacy. Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that the agreement was a "historic breakthrough".Gabriel heads off to forge business links with Iran , Deutsche Welle (19 July 2015). In mid-July 2015, Gabriel, along with a delegation of German industry and science representatives, completed a three-day visit to Iran focused on bolstering German-Iranian trade. Gabriel said there was "great interest on the part of German industry in normalizing and strengthening economic relations with Iran".

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who initially issued a letter of guidelines to President Rouhani on how to proceed with the deal, threatened to "set fire" to the nuclear deal if the West violated it. Rouhani said the agreement proved that "constructive engagement works" and was a step on the road to a wider goal of international cooperation: "With this unnecessary crisis resolved, new horizons emerge with a focus on shared challenges." Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif called it an "historic moment" and said: "Today could have been the end of hope on this issue, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope. Let's build on that."Reuters, "Iran's Zarif, EU say nuclear deal is new chapter of hope" (16 July 2015). In a 21 July speech to the Iranian Parliament, Zarif said that the agreement was a defeat for Israel, saying, "Never before was the Zionist regime so isolated, even among her own allies." On 12 August, after a meeting with Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Zarif said that the agreement "created a historic opportunity to [sic] for regional cooperation to fight extremism and face threats posed by the Zionist entity". Many Iranian families and youth celebrated at Vanak Square and elsewhere on the streets of Tehran on the evening of the agreement's announcements.Thomas Erdbrink, "Iran Celebrates Nuclear Deal, Tempered by Cynicism and Hard-Liner Warnings" , The New York Times (14 July 2015). Some held signs calling for the release of Iranian opposition leaders Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi from house arrest. Other ordinary Iranians cheered the announcement on social media. On 16 July 2015, two days after the agreement was signed, Ayatollah Khamenei made his first public comments on the final agreement in a letter to President Rouhani posted on Khamenei's website.Thomas Erdbrink, "Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Urges 'Careful Scrutiny' of Iran Deal" , The New York Times (15 July 2015). Khamenei wrote, "bringing the negotiations to a conclusion was a milestone", but "the prepared text, however, needs careful scrutiny". Iranian hard-liners took the letter as a signal of openness to criticism of the deal. In a speech in Tehran marking the end of Ramadan two days later, Khamenei said, "Our policies toward the arrogant government of the United States will not be changed at all,"Ali Akbar Dareini, "Iran's Supreme Leader Says Nuclear Deal Won't Change Policy Toward 'Arrogant' U.S.", The New York Times, Associated Press (18 July 2015). adding, "the Americans say they stopped Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon ... They know it's not true. We had a fatwa, declaring nuclear weapons to be religiously forbidden under Islamic law. It had nothing to do with the nuclear talks." But Khamenei praised the negotiators who arranged the deal, which was taken as a sign that he would not seek to block it in the Iranian parliament or the Supreme National Security Council. Khamenei also expressed support for the agreement, saying: "After 12 years of struggling with the Islamic republic, the result is that they [the P5+1 nations] have to bear the turning of thousands of centrifuges in the country."Thomas Erdbrink, "Ayatollah Khamenei, Backing Iran Negotiators, Endorses Nuclear Deal" , The New York Times (18 July 2015). Khamenei is believed to have approved the negotiations and the agreement, giving Rouhani crucial political cover to do so. The New York Times reported, "Iran's influential hard-liners, who have criticized Mr. Rouhani in much the same way that President Obama has been denounced by Republicans in the United States, signaled their intent to undercut the agreement," which they believe to be too favorable to the West. Foad Izadi, a professor at the University of Tehran, complained that of the 19 Iranian "major red lines" identified by the supreme leader during negotiations, "18 and a half have been crossed."Thomas Erdbrink, "Iranian Hard-Liners Say Nuclear Accord Crosses Their Red Lines" , The New York Times (16 July 2015). Conservative lawmaker Alireza Zakani said "celebrating too early can send a bad signal to the enemy." Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency stressed that under the agreement "world powers have recognized Iran's peaceful nuclear program and are to respect the nuclear rights of (Iran) within international conventions."Greg Botelho, "Iran nuclear deal full of complex issues and moving parts" , CNN (14 July 2015). The IRNA report also said, "The policy on preventing enrichment uranium is now failed" and stressed, "no Iranian nuclear facilities or centrifuges will be dismantled."

President Vladimir Putin said in a statement: "We are certain that the world heaved a sigh of relief today." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated the accord "will favorably affect the general situation in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf".Maria Stromova & Alastair Jamieson, "Iran Nuclear Deal: Russia Hails 'Positive Step' for Middle East" , NBC News (14 July 2015).

Prime Minister David Cameron applauded the agreement, saying that it would help "make our world a safer place" and that Iran now had a "real opportunity" to benefit economically.Robin Millard, "World leaders voice relief at Iran nuclear deal" , Yahoo! News, AFP (14 July 2015). Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond criticized the Israeli government's position on the JCPOA, saying in the House of Commons, "no agreement with Iran would have been enough for Netanyahu" and "Israel prefers a permanent state of standoff" with Iran.Barak Ravid, "Israel prefers permanent standoff to any Iran deal, says U.K.'s foreign secretary" , Haaretz (15 July 2015).Associated Press, "Netanyahu and Hammond spar over Iran nuclear agreement" , The Guardian (16 July 2015). At a joint press conference the next day in Jerusalem, Hammond and Netanyahu "sparred publicly" over the agreement, "veering off prepared comments ... in an awkward back-and-forth that extended what is usually a standard, brief public appearance with visiting officials into a spirited debate".

President Barack Obama addressed the nation in a 7 a.m. televised address from the White House, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side.Ray Locker, "First take: Obama's winning streak continues with Iran deal" , USA Today (14 July 2015).Paul Lewis, "Obama vows to veto any Republican attempt to derail Iran nuclear deal" , The Guardian (14 July 2015). Obama stated that the agreement "meets every single one of the bottom lines we established when we achieved a framework earlier this spring. Every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off. And the inspection and transparency regime necessary to verify that objective will be put in place." The president emphasized that the agreement is "not built on trust—it is built on verification".Michael R. Gordon & David E. Sanger, "Deal Reached on Iran Nuclear Program; Limits on Fuel Would Lessen With Time" , The New York Times (14 July 2015). Obama vowed to veto any congressional action that would block the agreement's implementation, saying: "I am confident that this deal will meet the national security needs of the United States and our allies, so I will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal. We do not have to accept an inevitable spiral into conflict, and we certainly shouldn't seek it." Obama stated: "I welcome scrutiny of the details of this agreement" and added, "This is not the time for politics or posturing. Tough talk from Washington does not solve problems. Hard-nosed diplomacy, leadership that has united the world's major powers, offers a more effective way to verify that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon."