The agreement between Iran and various parties, including the United States, was an excruciatingly complex procedure. Nuclear experts and diplomats engaged for weeks.

Optimists hoped that the resulting deal would lead Iran toward more engagement with the rest of the world. Many ordinary Iranians celebrated when the final agreement was announced. They desire better economic opportunity and freedom from war, as do most of us. They saw the agreement as encouraging such benefits.

By and large, Iran has kept its end of the bargain. At the same time, Iran has continued to support groups engaged in fighting in Syria and in Yemen. However, the agreement’s purpose was not to solve these issues. It was meant to prevent nuclear weapons.

For those who wish to go beyond the tweet level, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has posted a thoughtful analysis. Though written on May 1, just before the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal, the article provides insight.