If the idea of withdrawing from the JCPOA was always bad, it is even more detrimental now considering the political shifts in Tehran. The moderate administration of Hassan Rouhani which sought better relations with the West has been wholly discredited by Trump’s aggressive policies. The hardliners who now dominate the whole political landscape in Iran have always been skeptical of the JCPOA.

Moreover, an influential faction within the hardline camp sees the JCPOA as irrelevant at best and constraining Iran’s security options at worst. According to this line of thinking, Iran has already weathered the storm of the U.S. sanctions. Following on from that, what Iran needs now is not to get sanctions lifted, but rather to further immunize Iran from them by seeking closer ties with Russia and China. Iran notably has become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Security Organization.