Iran and the United States are expected to begin holding indirect nuclear talks in Qatar, with the European Union mediating between the two.
The talks, set to start Tuesday, have renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution after earlier talks stalled in March, Al-Jazeera reported today.
Here’s what you need to know about the talks, the outcome of which could be consequential for the Middle East region, and beyond.
What’s the purpose of the talks?
- The talks are aimed at restoring Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers – including China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US.
- The US unilaterally abandoned the accord in 2018 under President Donald Trump, and then imposed comprehensive sanctions on Iran.
- Iran responded by advancing its nuclear programme, which it still maintains is strictly peaceful. Other countries worry that may not be the case and that Iran may be trying to build a nuclear weapon, while the world’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is concerned over a lack of cooperation.
What did the nuclear deal do?
- Signed after years of painstaking negotiations, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the deal is formally known, put curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting multilateral sanctions that were in place at the time.
- Through 24-hour monitoring by the IAEA, the deal makes sure Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful while allowing Iran to enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent.
- At the time, many Iranians hoped that the deal would help strengthen the economy.
