By Senior Research Fellow Gabriela Billini

Going beyond the JCPOA in pursuit of a stable Middle East

While the United States and Iran each calculate the best way to return to the JCPOA, pressure on the Biden administration continues to mount from domestic parties and concerned US allies abroad. Many argue that the JCPOA as it exists today simply does not go far enough to regulate Iran’s regional posture and related activities. The extent to which Iranian authorities would realistically consider renegotiating the nuclear deal, however, is a serious concern. However, if the Iranians would be willing to return to the negotiating table to discuss regional security matters, mutually-beneficial partnerships with regional partners could be proposed in exchange.

The JCPOA can serve as a model to extend Iran’s global integration - a kind of “JCPOA Plus”. Signatories should therefore consider which states in the region are ideally positioned to engage as sponsors and allies to help establish and promote a more tenable agreement. While the JCPOA does not currently include other regional actors, the best and most sustainable solution for long-term stability of this deal is a renegotiated JCPOA that also addresses the broader concerns of regional actors, in exchange for economic and political reassurances to Iran.