The Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was originally negotiated under the Obama administration in 2015 following years of US-Iran tensions, and focused on reducing Iran's ability to develop and produce the fissile material, plutonium and uranium, used to make a nuclear weapon. In return for Iran's compliance, economic sanctions on the country would be lifted.
The deal was heavily criticized by both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various Gulf monarchies, who feared that it would allow Iran to use newly acquired funds to extend its military and political influence in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. In 2018, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement, while most EU counties – notably, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – remained a part of the deal.
As part of Biden's campaign promises during the 2020 presidential election, he has vowed to re-enter the agreement. This view was repeated after Biden's team spoke with Fox News. In a recent op-ed Biden wrote about Iran, he said that “First, I will make an unshakeable commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Second, I will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy.”
Regarding his views on the incoming Biden administration policies toward the Gulf states, and if a pivot is made in diplomacy with Iran, Al-Mouallimi told Fox News that he thinks the Iran nuclear deal has proven its failure to the entire world. "And I don’t think that anybody is going to be naïve enough to go back to the same deal,” he said.
“If there is a new deal in which Saudi Arabia is involved in the discussion and which covers the shortcomings of the previous deal, such as Iran’s hydromantic behavior in the region and the issue of the missiles and the supply of weapons to rebel groups and so forth, then we will be all for it,” the Saudi ambassador said.