Biden and the JCPOA Revival: Of Distrust, Domestic Politics, and Leadership

President Joe Biden came to power campaigning to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, from which the USA had unilaterally withdrawn in 2018 under President Donald Trump. Biden had a long history of advocating for better ties with Iran. Even as a Senator and Vice-President to Barack Obama, he played a key role in securing Congressional support for the deal. After becoming president, he made several overtures to Iran to get it to the negotiating table. Several rounds of indirect negotiations did take place during his tenure, but Tehran and Washington could not reach an agreement. This article examines why Biden failed to revive the JCPOA. It argues that Biden’s failure can be attributed to domestic constraints in both Tehran and Washington, structural distrust arising from Trump’s withdrawal, differences over sequencing, and choices by the leaders of Iran and the USA that reduce the possibility of compromise.