Laborers work at the construction site of the second phase of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, on Nov. 10, 2019. As it tries to break the U.S. maximum pressure campaign, Iran will continue to expand its nuclear program as it tries to maneuver around the U.S. maximum sanctions campaign.
Tensions between the United States and Iran will almost certainly escalate once again later this year as Iran's nuclear program continues to expand. In recent weeks, Iranian officials have threatened to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and suspend its Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency if it faces renewed, or "snapped back," U.N. sanctions. Iran's threats come after Europe decided to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal (JCPOA). But the so-called E3 bloc consisting of France, Germany and the United Kingdom has little desire to trigger a U.N. sanctions snapback just now. Instead, the European bloc hopes triggering the process will prevent Tehran from significantly expanding its nuclear program any further. But this strategy will work only temporarily.
