Key moments in the unraveling of Iran's nuclear deal

decision by European nations to trigger a dispute resolution mechanism in Iran nuclear deal marks latest step in unravelling of accord, which began when President Donald Trump walked away from agreement and began restoring sanctions on Iran. agreement, reached under President Barack Obama, imposed restrictions and stepped-up monitoring of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting of international sanctions. Trump and or critics faulted deal for t dressing Iran's ballistic missile program or its support for armed groups across region.

Even after Trump's withdrawal, Iran complied with deal until last summer, when it anunced it would begin exceeding limits set by agreement because it was longer getting ecomic benefits it was promised.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, or signatories, remain committed to deal. European nations have tried but failed to develop a mechanism that would allow m to continue tring with Iran. U.S. sanctions have devastated Iran’s ecomy.

On Tuesday, Europeans said y would trigger dispute mechanism to try to bring Iran back into compliance with deal.

Here’s a timeline of major events in unravelling of nuclear deal:

July 14, 2015: World powers and Iran anunce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement in which Iran curbs its nuclear activities in exchange for lifting of international sanctions.

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Jan. 16, 2016: International Atomic Energy ncy ackwledges Iran has met its commitments under nuclear deal. Meanwhile, U.S. and Iran make a prisoner swap that frees Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and three or Iranian-Americans. U.S. makes a $400 million cash delivery to Iran same day. Those funds were related to undelivered military equipment from shah’s era.

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v. 8, 2016: Trump is elected U.S. president after campaigning on promises to scrap nuclear deal.

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Oct. 13, 2017: Trump anunces he will t re-certify Iran nuclear deal as required, saying accord “threw Iran’s dictatorship a political and ecomic lifeline.”

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May 8, 2018: Trump withdraws U.S. from nuclear deal. In coming months, United States grually restores ecomic sanctions on Iran. Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, or signatories, say y remain committed to deal.

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v. 5, 2018: U.S. imposes tough sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, lifeline of its ecomy, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo anunces a list of 12 demands it must meet for sanctions relief. Iran rejects wide-ranging demands, which include ending its support for armed groups in region, withdrawing from Syrian civil war and halting its ballistic missile program.

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May 8, 2019: Iran vows to enrich its uranium stockpile closer to weapons-gre levels if world powers fail to negotiate new terms for nuclear deal. European Union urges Iran to respect nuclear deal and says it plans to continue tring with country. Trump says he would like Iran’s leers to “call me.”

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July 1, 2019: Iran follows through on a threat to exceed limit set by nuclear deal on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, which is used for civilian applications and t for nuclear weapons.

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vember 2019: Protests break out across Iran after authorities raise price of gasoline, latest of several waves of sporic, leerless protests ignited by ecomic grievances. Amnesty International later says more than 300 people were killed.

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Dec. 27, 2019: A U.S. contractor is killed in a rocket attack on a base in rrn Iraq. U.S. blames attack on Kataeb Hezbollah, one of several Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq.

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Dec. 29, 2019: U.S. airstrikes hit Kataeb Hezbollah positions in Iraq and Syria, killing at least 25 fighters and bringing vows of revenge. Iraq calls strikes a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

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Dec. 31, 2019: Hundreds of Iran-backed militiamen and ir supporters barge through an outer barrier of U.S. Embassy in Baghd and hold two days of violent protests.

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Jan. 3: A U.S. airstrike near Baghd’s international airport kills Gen. Qassem Soleimani, leer of Iran’s elite Quds Force and mastermind of its regional military operations. Iran vows “harsh retaliation.”

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Jan. 5: Iran anunces it will longer abide by nuclear deal.

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Jan. 8: Iran launches ballistic missiles on two bases in Iraq housing American troops. missile attack does t hurt anyone, but Iranian forces accidentally shoot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, mistaking it for a U.S. cruise missile. crash kills all 176 people on board, mainly Iranians.

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Jan. 9: Vice President Mike Pence says Trump will call on European allies to scrap nuclear deal.

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Jan. 11: After three days of insisting plane crash was caused by a technical problem, Iranian officials mit to shooting it down. Iranians express shock and outr, and security forces fire live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protests in Tehran.

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Jan. 14: Britain, France and Germany trigger agreement's dispute resolution mechanism, paving way for possible ditional sanctions