In January 2016, Iran completed implementing its nuclear commitments pursuant to the Joint Compressive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which Tehran had concluded the previous July with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.  The recent anniversary of this occasion, which coincides with uncertainly regarding the JCPOA’s future, provides an opportunity to contemplate the agreement’s effects on Iranian efforts to produce a nuclear weapon. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified Iran’s compliance with the agreement’s provisions concerning the country’s nuclear program. JCPOA proponents note that, under these restrictions, Tehran will, for at least a decade, need a minimum of one year to produce enough weapons-grade highly-enriched uranium (HEU) for a nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, some observers have expressed concern that the eventual normalization of Iran’s gas centrifuge uranium enrichment program, as well as the country’s ongoing ballistic missile program, will leave Tehran with the ability to produce a deliverable nuclear weapon relatively quickly.  

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Read the full article at Arms Control Wonk.