February 27, 2026 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations in Geneva between the United States and the Iranian regime concerning Iran’s nuclear program. In the aftermath of last year’s 12-day war between the regime and Israel, which included U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the stakes of these talks are higher than ever. A durable solution that fully eliminates the Iranian regime’s path to a nuclear weapon and that curbs its dangerous missile and proxy activities remains essential.
The Iranian regime continues to be a highly destabilizing force regionally and globally. It has called for the destruction of Israel, supported terrorist organizations across the Middle East, interfered in the internal affairs of sovereign nations, and engaged in pervasive human rights abuses. The events of the past year — including direct military confrontation, escalating proxy activity, and the regime’s brutal crackdown on its own people — have only underscored the danger posed by Tehran’s ambitions.
Despite substantial damage to elements of its nuclear infrastructure following last year’s military action, the Iranian regime retains significant nuclear expertise, stockpiles of enriched uranium, and the capacity to rebuild its nuclear program. Its ballistic missile program remains the most extensive in the region and its continued development of advanced delivery systems poses a direct threat to the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. Any agreement must therefore ensure not only temporary restraint but the permanent dismantlement of the regime’s nuclear weapons capability, including enrichment.
AJC has long maintained that prior diplomatic efforts, including the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were deeply flawed. The deal failed to address the regime’s ballistic missile program, left dangerous sunset provisions in place, imposed insufficient inspection mechanisms, and ignored the regime’s regional aggression and terror sponsorship. Subsequent events — including the regime’s support for Hamas before and after the October 7, 2023, massacre and its unprecedented direct missile and drone attacks on Israel — validated those concerns.
As current negotiations proceed, the United States must maintain sustained economic and diplomatic pressure to ensure Tehran makes verifiable, irreversible concessions. Sanctions relief should be conditioned on full compliance and transparency. Any diplomatic process must also be closely coordinated with regional partners, particularly Israel and Gulf states, which remain most directly threatened by the regime’s aggression.
At the same time, the Iranian regime’s repression and abuse against the Iranian people has reached staggering levels. In January 2026, authorities carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown on peaceful protesters and perceived dissenters, reportedly killing tens of thousands of Iranian citizens and detaining many more. Since then, arrests, executions, and systematic repression have continued. Nuclear negotiations should not come at the expense of accountability for the regime’s grave human rights violations. The international community must continue to stand with the Iranian people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity.
AJC supports a resolution that permanently prevents the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon, curbs its destabilizing regional activities, and advances accountability for its human rights abuses. Anything less would leave the region and the world at continued risk.
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, creating trusted partnerships with leaders around the world to ensure Jews and Israel are safe and thriving. Through 40 offices and dozens of partnerships with Jewish communities worldwide, AJC engages leaders in more than 110 countries, empowering those in government, education, partner communities, and the private sector to counter antisemitism and act as allies. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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