Analysis: The future of Iran’s nuclear deal looks grim.

The sequence of events that culminated in the killing of Qasem Soleimani arguably began on May 8, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the international nuclear pact with Iran.

“This was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made,” Trump said as he withdrew from the deal. “It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will.”

The other parties to the deal — China, Russia, the Europeans and Iran — disagreed and stayed the course. But the reimposition of draconian sanctions by the US, sanctions that had been largely lifted as Iran’s reward for signing up to the deal, gnawed away at its credibility. 

As tensions grew, the agreement known as the JCPOA began to fray at the edges.

Now, the prognosis for the JCPOA looks poor. At best it’s in intensive care; at worst it may struggle to survive the year.

More Details later….