What a difference a year can make. Last January the Biden administration came to power pledging to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that his predecessor had abrogated. That, however, was supposed to be just the beginning. Incoming national security adviser Jake Sullivan insisted that doing so would be a prelude to a "longer and stronger" deal with Tehran. Fast forward 12 months, and the likeliest outcome of the Biden administration's diplomatic outreach is a compromise pact far less comprehensive and robust than the original.
Experts have warned against the dangers of such a "less for more" deal, which would impose fewer restrictions on Iran's stubborn nuclear effort while providing Tehran with more-lavish concessions and sanctions relief than before. Yet the political reality is that, for the Biden administration struggling in the polls domestically, even a bad bargain with Iran could be a lifeline.
