The inside story on the Iran deal that Trump ripped up | The Global Story
Former US diplomat Wendy Sherman discusses the origins, negotiation, and aftermath of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), explaining how secret back-channel communications led to 18 months of intensive talks. She criticizes Trump's military strikes on Iran as counterproductive, arguing they handed Iran the leverage of controlling the Strait of Hormuz and made a new nuclear deal significantly harder to achieve.
Summary
BBC journalist Asma Khalid interviews Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator of the 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), about the origins, mechanics, and current state of US-Iran nuclear diplomacy.
The deal's origins trace back to secret back-channel communications initiated by Iran around 2011-2013, driven largely by economic pressure from sanctions. President Obama made two critical decisions: to pursue diplomacy over military confrontation, having war-gamed the catastrophic consequences of conflict including Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and to consider allowing a limited civil nuclear enrichment program under strict monitoring — a position no previous US administration had taken.
Sherman describes the negotiation process in detail, including the shift that occurred when Rouhani became Iran's president in 2013 and Javad Zarif replaced the difficult Saeed Jalili as the Iranian delegation lead. Her counterpart Abbas Araghchi, now Iran's foreign minister, was described as highly intelligent and detail-oriented. Sherman emphasizes that the relationship was built on respect rather than trust, and humanizing moments — like sharing photos of grandchildren — helped sustain grueling negotiations, including 28 consecutive days in a Vienna hotel.
The final 110-page deal required Iran to limit nuclear activities and accept international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Sherman acknowledges criticisms: that sunset clauses (expiring in 10-15 years) were too limited, that sanctions relief may have freed funds for Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, and that missiles and regional behavior were not addressed. She defends these omissions by explaining that the nuclear issue alone was extraordinarily complex — every agreement on enrichment percentages or stockpile levels cascades into dozens of other technical variables — and that adding more issues would likely have prevented any deal at all.
On Trump's 2018 withdrawal and current second-term military strikes, Sherman is sharply critical. She argues Trump launched a 'war of choice' without an imminent threat, fundamentally misunderstands Iran's deep civilizational identity and culture of resistance, and has handed Iran the strategic leverage of the Strait of Hormuz — which was open before the conflict. She notes the economic damage is global, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, and that 13 American soldiers have died. She also argues that conducting military strikes while simultaneously claiming to negotiate has reinforced Iran's historical suspicion of Western bad faith, dating back to the US-backed 1953 coup.
Looking forward, Sherman sees a potential basis for negotiation but believes the Strait of Hormuz and blockade issues must be resolved before nuclear talks can meaningfully resume. She suggests a possible framework involving mutual suspension of the blockade and strait closure, followed by a ceasefire enabling nuclear negotiations, though she notes Iran's current demands — permanent end to war and full sanctions relief before nuclear talks — are unlikely to be fully accepted by the US.
Key Insights
- Wendy Sherman argues that President Obama's decision to accept a limited civil nuclear enrichment program under strict monitoring was unprecedented — no previous US administration had ever conceded that Iran could have any enrichment capability — and that this single concession opened the door to the entire negotiation.
- Sherman describes how the Supreme Leader's surprise speech mid-negotiation in Geneva introduced entirely new parameters after the delegations had already reached tentative agreement, revealing that Iranian negotiators like Zarif may not have had full visibility into the Supreme Leader's positions — a structural challenge that made the talks nearly collapse multiple times.
- Sherman argues that Trump's military strikes on Iran gave Iran the strategic leverage of the Strait of Hormuz, which had been open before the conflict, and that this leverage now represents a fundamental obstacle that must be resolved before nuclear negotiations can even begin.
- Sherman contends that Trump fundamentally misunderstands Iran's civilizational identity and culture of resistance, comparing it unfavorably to Venezuela, and noting that Iran endured an eight-year war with Iraq — suggesting Iran will not yield to pressure-based tactics or quick-win diplomacy the way Trump has approached other foreign policy situations.
- Sherman argues that the JCPOA's value extended beyond nuclear limits, citing a concrete example where Secretary Kerry called Foreign Minister Zarif directly after US sailors were captured in Iranian waters, and they were released within 24 hours — a diplomatic channel that would not have existed without the deal and would have otherwise been a prolonged hostage crisis.
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