Trust in US virtually zero over Iran nuclear deal talks

Thanks to Trump, Iran increased enrichment to 20 and 60 per cent, the latter near the 90 per cent level needed for weapons, and boosted its overall stockpile to 8,294 kilos, installed state-of the art centrifuges for enrichment, and curbed IAEA monitoring and inspections

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The situation in this region might have been very different if during his first term in office Donald Trump had not withdrawn the US from the 2015 sixparty deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting sanctions. If Iran had abided by its commitments - which it did until 2019 - Iran's nuclear programme would have remained stuck in the past. Iran would have been enriching uranium to 3.67 per cent for use in power plants, its stockpile would have remained at 300 kilograms, and its centrifuges would have been old models. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would have continued to monitor Iran's facilities under the most intrusive regime ever imposed and carried out constant inspections.

Sanctions connected with the nuclear programme would have been lifted as they were partially from January 2016 until May 2018 when Trump withdrew the US from the agreement. During this brief period of relaxation, Iran's sagging economy grew by 12.5 per cent and Iran's oil exports grew to $47 billion, $5 billion more than in the year before the deal.

Iran's sale of carpets to the US and exports to Europe grew. On the political front, Iran opened relations with the US and Europe and improved its standing in the region where trust in Tehran had slumped.

Thanks to Trump, Iran increased enrichment to 20 and 60 per cent, the latter near the 90 per cent level needed for weapons, and boosted its overall stockpile to 8,294 kilos, installed state-of the art centrifuges for enrichment, and curbed IAEA monitoring and inspections. While sanctions have been amplified, they have also been eroded, and Iran has strengthened diplomatic relations with regional powers while cultivating ties to China, Russia, India, and other countries.