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Lorenzo Mitchell

Professor Kane

English 113A TTh

30 September 2018

Withdrawing From the JCPOA: E1.2

Throughout history, agreements have been made to keep peace among countries and

nations. These agreements were made to keep people safe and create good relations. In May of

2018, an agreement between two countries was withdrawn. President Trump withdrew from the

JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), an agreement between the United States and Iran.

Trump did not agree with the plan, because he did not believe it was strict enough on Iran's

economic sanctions and nuclear weapons. His actions jeopardized our relationship with Iran, as

well as the rest of the world. We should keep the JCPOA because easing the sanctions would

help the Iranian people, encourage Uranium research, and slow down Iran’s breakout time, as

well as continue friendly relations between countries involved in the JCPOA.

The JCPOA is an agreement between the United States, and Iran; as well as China,

France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany. There is tension currently between these

countries and to prevent a nuclear arms race, and to ease sanctions on Iran’s economy, the

agreement was enacted. Once the agreement was enacted Iran complied and three things were

affected. Iran’s economy, because we eased economic sanctions on them. Uranium research and

collaboration as well as increase the breakout time it takes for Iran to create nuclear weapons.

Trump did not like this deal because he believed it was not strict enough and decided to
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withdraw from it. Trump want like to end the deal for three reasons. First reason being, Trump

says that the plan was “inadequate and...it would not prevent Iran from making nuclear

weapons.” (Jackson). Second, Trump does not like the restrictions on the deal. He believes the

restrictions should remain indefinitely. Lastly, Trump stated that Iran was violating “the spirit”

of the deal.

Withdrawing from the JCPOA not only creates bad relations, but the economic sanctions

are doing more harm to the people than good. In the article “In Iran, ‘Death to America’ Doesn’t

Always Mean What It Seems” the author Nick Walsh interviews an Iranian businessman named

Reza. He explains that the “Costs keep changing every day.’ he said. ‘It’s 500,000 Tomans

(about $50) one day for a sheep, tomorrow it could be 550,000 ($55). So it’s not economically

feasible for us. It’s not worth it.” These sanctions are affecting the everyday lives of people

living in Iran. The people that do not have complications with Trump. Trump has complications

with their government but they are the ones that have to suffer. Reza also explains this by saying

“the [USA] don’t act justly. We don’t count in Mr. Trump’s eyes. He has problems with the

government, but what’s my sin? We don’t count...In this Iran, there is another take on the US.

Here, the enemy is not the American people. But the policies of the leaders they voted for, where

the smallest changes in the price of food or the value of the US dollar wreak havoc on Iranians’

daily lives.” Withdrawing from the JCPOA is ultimately hurting the people of Iran. They are the

ones that have to deal with these economic changes daily and creating these stricter sanctions

complicates our relationship with them because it makes daily life difficult.

Another area that would be affected by the withdrawal of the JCPOA is science, but more

specifically, uranium research. When the JCPOA was enacted, Iran was able to cooperate with
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other countries in uranium research. In the article “Iran Nuclear Deal Opens Door to Scientific

Collaborations” Richard Stone explains the positives of Iran scientific collaboration. Some

would be “rapid expansion of scientific cooperation with Iran in areas as diverse as fusion,

astrophysics,and cancer therapy using radioisotopes” and “Iran will convert its sensitive Fordow

uranium enrichment facility into an international ‘nuclear, physics, and technology center,’

allowing it to remain open as a research lab.” If the technology center turns into a research lab,

Iranian scientist will expand collaboration with Europe and work on nuclear safety and security.

This would help with the progression of uranium research, as well as other areas of science such

as fusion, astrophysics, and cancer therapy using radioisotopes. Equipment would also be able to

be repurposed “According to the proposed deal, some of the uranium-enrichment centrifuges at

the Fordow site would be repurposed to produce isotopes such as molybdenum-99, which is

widely required for medical imaging” (stone). The JCPOA allows for scientific collaboration and

the progression of research and our understanding of uranium.

Another area that would be affected if we got rid of the JCPOA is nuclear weapons.

Trump would like to get rid of Iran’s nuclear weapons entirely. The JCPOA made it so that Iran

could still have nuclear weapons but the break out time would increase “Iran's “breakout

time”—the time needed to produce enough weapons-grade fissile material for one bomb—from

an estimated 2 to 3 months to at least a year.” (Stone). A country should be allowed to have

nuclear weapons to protect themselves. The JCPOA allowed for nuclear weapons but Iran would

have less because it would take longer for them to produce, and Iran’s nuclear weapon program

would be under surveillance and inspection to confirm that Iran was complying to the agreement.
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The United should keep the JCPOA, instead of getting rid of it. Once the plan was

enacted Iran complied and it helped the people and the relationship between nations. With the

JCPOA, we were able to help the Iran people by having less sanction. When Trump got rid of the

JCPOA it made it more difficult for business owners, like Reza, because prices would fluctuate

every day. It also creates a better relationship because the United States and the people because

we help their economy. Not only does it help the Iranian economy it also allows scientific

collaboration such fusion, astrophysics, and cancer therapy using radioisotopes. As well as

“uranium enrichment facility into an international ‘nuclear, physics, and technology center”

(Stone). Break out times would also increase. Making it harder and longer for Iran to create

nuclear weapons.
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Work Cited

Butler, Declan. “Iran Nuclear Deal Raises Hopes for Science.” ​Nature News​, Nature Publishing

Group, 14

Apr.2015,​www.nature.com/news/iran-nuclear-deal-raises-hopes-for-science-1.17321​.

6 Oct 2018.

Jackson, David. “Amid War Talk, Trump Reimposes Economic Sanction on Iran.” USA Today,

2 Oct 2018.

Stone, Richard. “Iran Nuclear Deal Opens Door to Scientific Collaborations.” ​Science | AAAS​, 9

Dec. 2017,

www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/iran-nuclear-deal-opens-door-scientific-collaboratio

ns​. 2 Oct 2018.

Tollefson, Jeff. “How Science Will Suffer as US Pulls out of Iran Nuclear Deal.” ​Nature News​,

Nature Publishing Group, 9 May 2018, ​www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05123-y​. 6

Oct 2018

Walsh, Nick Paton, et al. “In Iran, ‘Death to America’ Doesn’t Always Mean What It Seems.”

CNN, 2 Oct. 2018.