A Minnesota native helped negotiate the agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
Jake Sullivan, Vice President Biden's national security adviser, had a critical role in the top-secret talks that helped end a decades-long diplomatic impasse between Iran and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France -- plus Germany.
According to The Associated Press, Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns were hand-picked by President Obama to lead secret meetings with Iranian officials and complete the deal, which was reached late Saturday.
The historic breakthrough dials back Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon while also relaxing international sanctions that have crippled the country's economy. The preliminary deal is intended to give Iran and the negotiating powers time to negotiate a more comprehensive agreement.
Sullivan has served as Biden's national security adviser and a deputy assistant to President Obama since February. A Minneapolis Southwest High School graduate with undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University, Sullivan has also worked as chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School and an advisor during Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.
