CNH05

Have there been any surprises, pleasant or unpleasant, for you in the aftermath of the deal's signing? And what are the one or two biggest misconceptions you see about the deal (or Iran) in Washington? Do you think these are different in DC than in the United States more broadly?

Thank you both for all of these thoughtful responses. There are obviously many nonproliferation scholars in and outside of government in the United States, like yourselves, and many of them have been quite active in debating the merits of the Iran deal (and potential solutions to other nonproliferation problems). Does Iran itself have the same sort of civil society body of nuclear experts/scholars in this field? In Tehran, for instance, do you know if there is any rigorous non-government debate about the JCPOA or other nonproliferation measures like the NPT, CTBT, FMCT, etc?

Thank you both for taking the time to answer questions. From what I understand, there have been several more or less permanent steps to dismantle Iran's nuclear program that were required, like filling the reactor core with cement. While Iran could build another reactor, it seems as though it was rendered impossible for it to revert to using the now-cement-filled one. To what extent is the deal permanent from a political perspective? Could any of the P5+1, or Iran itself, take steps to undo the progress of the deal? Should we take the threats of political candidates seriously, that the deal could be "torn up"?