"This was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," Trump said as he withdrew from the deal. "It didn't bring calm, it didn't bring peace, and it never will."
The other parties to the deal -- China, Russia, the Europeans and Iran -- disagreed and stayed the course. But the reimposition of draconian sanctions by the US, sanctions that had been largely lifted as Iran's reward for signing up to the deal, gnawed away at its credibility.
As tensions grew, the agreement known as the JCPOA began to fray at the edges.
Read: US Airstrike That Killed Iran's Soleimani "Saved Lives In Europe" - Pompeo
Soleimani -- who was killed Friday by a US airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump -- was a controversial figure. One of Iran's most powerful men, he headed the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, an elite unit that handles Iran's overseas operations -- and one deemed to be a foreign terrorist organization by the US.
Soleimani started his front line military career in the Iran-Iraq war during the early 1980s. He went on to become an indispensable figure in Iran, and played an instrumental role in spreading its influence in the Middle East.
There's been an outpouring of grief for him in Iran, which is holding three days of mourning. His funeral will be held later on Sunday.
Now, the prognosis for the JCPOA looks poor. At best it's in intensive care; at worst it may struggle to survive the year.
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