i think there is due caution in denying a regime that seems pretty vocal about destroying one or more of its neighbors easy access to a nuclear program (especially after what happened with nk)
There's a lot more to it than that though. The thing that pundits like to obsess over is the fact that the deal allows Iran to pursue nuclear power, and that it releases many of its restrictions after 15 years. What they won't tell you is that the deal required:
- Iran to cede 98% of their low-enriched uranium stockpile, which they did
- Iran to store away 2/3 of their centrifuges
- Iran to uninstall all their advanced centrifuges
- Iran to cede 100% of their medium-enriched uranium stockpile
- Iran to adhere to strict limitations on research of uranium enrichment, only permitting it in certain facilities subject to regular UN inspection
The UN inspections they agreed to are so stringent that non-compliance would be extremely obvious. If Iran's evil plan was to agree to this deal to further their quest towards nuclear weapons, then it was a terrible idea for them. They set their nukes back literally decades.
The reality here is that they didn't agree to it to get nukes. They did it because it releases the sanctions that have crippled their economy for decades. They want to become a part of the modern world economy.
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