How the Iran Nuclear Deal Collapsed: JCPOA, Maximum Pressure & Soleimani

Painstakingly built, then torn up. How the 2015 nuclear deal came together — and how its collapse pushed the two countries to the brink of war. Episode 10 tells the deal's whole arc. A secret Oman channel and the first presidential phone call since 1979 lead to the 2015 JCPOA: Iran ships out enriched uranium, slashes centrifuges, and accepts intrusive inspections, pushing "breakout time" from weeks to about a year. Then, in 2018 — with inspectors certifying compliance — Trump withdraws and launches "maximum pressure." Iran rebuilds its stockpile; tanker incidents and a downed drone follow; and on January 3, 2020, a U.S. drone strike kills Qasem Soleimani, drawing Iranian missile retaliation and bringing the two states to the edge.