UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — What does the U.S.-Iran agreement say?

Q1. In the context of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the term 'P5+1' refers to which one of the following groupings?

  • A. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany
  • B. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Iran
  • C. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus the European Union
  • D. The five declared nuclear-weapon States plus the IAEA

Q2. With reference to the June 2026 U.S.–Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as compared with the 2015 JCPOA, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike the JCPOA, which was a detailed nuclear settlement, the 2026 MoU is a ceasefire-plus-framework rather than a final settlement. 2. The 2026 MoU provided for a reduction of U.S. military assets from the region and an economic reconstruction and development plan for Iran. 3. Like the JCPOA, the 2026 MoU was formally endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike the JCPOA, which was a detailed nuclear settlement, the 2026 MoU is a ceasefire-plus-framework rather than a final settlement.
  2. The 2026 MoU provided for a reduction of U.S. military assets from the region and an economic reconstruction and development plan for Iran.
  3. Like the JCPOA, the 2026 MoU was formally endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The June 2026 MoU launches negotiations on Iran's nuclear activities. Verification of any resulting limits on Iran's nuclear programme would be operationalised principally by which one of the following international bodies?

  • A. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • B. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • C. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
  • D. The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)

Q4. With reference to the run-up to the June 2026 U.S.–Iran MoU, consider the following statements: 1. Renewed IDF strikes in the Beirut area on 14 June prompted Iran to prepare a response, but U.S. intervention prevented the retaliation so the MoU could move forward. 2. The MoU provided for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. 3. The MoU was signed only after Israel had formally endorsed all of its terms. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Renewed IDF strikes in the Beirut area on 14 June prompted Iran to prepare a response, but U.S. intervention prevented the retaliation so the MoU could move forward.
  2. The MoU provided for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
  3. The MoU was signed only after Israel had formally endorsed all of its terms.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Whose renewed military strikes in the Beirut area on the eve of the June 2026 MoU announcement most directly threatened to reignite the conflict, before U.S. intervention allowed the agreement to proceed?

  • A. Israel (the IDF)
  • B. Saudi Arabia
  • C. Turkey
  • D. The United States

Q6. In the context of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), the 'snapback' mechanism refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The automatic re-imposition of previously terminated UN sanctions on Iran if the Council fails to adopt a resolution to continue sanctions relief within 30 days of a participant's notification of significant non-performance
  • B. The immediate expiry of all restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme once the JCPOA's sunset clauses are reached
  • C. A veto-proof vote by the General Assembly to reinstate sanctions on any non-compliant state
  • D. The IAEA's power to suspend Iran's NPT membership upon detecting undeclared enrichment

Q7. Which of the following was the party that first formally triggered the 'snapback' mechanism under Resolution 2231 by notifying the Security Council of Iran's significant non-performance in 2025?

  • A. The E3 — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — acting jointly
  • B. The United States acting alone
  • C. Russia and China jointly
  • D. The IAEA Board of Governors

Q8. Under the 2015 JCPOA, what was the single maximum (ceiling) uranium-enrichment purity that Iran was permitted to reach?

  • A. 3.67% U-235
  • B. 20% U-235
  • C. 60% U-235
  • D. About 90% U-235

Q9. Passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz — whose lanes lie mainly in Omani and partly in Iranian territorial waters — is legally governed primarily under which one of the following frameworks?

  • A. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
  • B. The Montreux Convention
  • C. The Chicago Convention
  • D. The Antarctic Treaty System

Q10. Under the Long-Term Main Contract signed in May 2024 between India Ports Global Limited and Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, for how many years is India to equip and operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port?

  • A. 5 years
  • B. 10 years
  • C. 15 years
  • D. 20 years

Q11. During the June 2025 phase of the conflict, U.S. forces employed 'GBU-57 A/B' munitions against Iranian nuclear sites such as Fordow. What are these?

  • A. Massive American 'bunker buster' bombs designed to destroy deeply buried facilities
  • B. Iranian ballistic missiles used to strike U.S. bases in the region
  • C. Israeli air-defence interceptor missiles
  • D. A class of advanced Iranian centrifuges for uranium enrichment