“The US left & violated the nuclear deal. So, it's the US that has to return & implement its obligations. President Biden has a choice: Break with Trump's failed policies, or build on his failures. Building on his failures will only bring further failure,” Zarif tweeted.

The United States announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the "Iran nuclear deal" or the "Iran deal", on May 8, 2018. The JCPOA is an agreement on Iran's nuclear program reached in July 2015 by Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany) also called E3/EU+3.

In a joint statement responding to the U.S. withdrawal, the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom stated that United Nations Security Council resolution endorsing the nuclear deal remained the "binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute".

Various countries, international organizations, and U.S. scholars have expressed regret or criticized the withdrawal, while U.S. conservatives, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and allies have supported it.

The withdrawal caused concerns in Iran due to its impact on the economy.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, who was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, has been a deep critic of Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, calling Trump's approach to Iran "a self-inflicted disaster".

However, in an interview on the CBS Evening News broadcast the day of the 2021 Super Bowl, he indicated to Norah O'Donnell that the United States would not lift sanctions on Iran until that country stopped enriching uranium.