Iran Tells UN Its Nuclear Restrictions Under Resolution 2231 Have Expired By The Media Line Staff Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, notified the United Nations on Saturday that, from Tehran’s perspective, all UN Security Council resolutions and restrictions tied to Iran’s nuclear program have no continuing legal force as of the same day. In letters […]
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The Media Line: Iran Tells UN Its Nuclear Restrictions Under Resolution 2231 Have Expired
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Iran Tells UN Its Nuclear Restrictions Under Resolution 2231 Have Expired
By The Media Line Staff
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, notified the United Nations on Saturday that, from Tehran’s perspective, all UN Security Council resolutions and restrictions tied to Iran’s nuclear program have no continuing legal force as of the same day. In letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Vassily A. Nebenzia, the Security Council president for October, Araghchi argued that the sunset provisions in the 2015 nuclear agreement and its accompanying resolution have now taken effect and end prior measures. “After Oct. 18, all provisions of the Resolution 2231 and the preceding sanctions resolutions should automatically terminate with no continuing legal effect,” he wrote.
The statement comes as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the 2015 accord between Iran and the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany)—reaches key expiration points set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the deal. The United States withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed national sanctions, after which Iran progressively scaled back its nuclear commitments.
Tensions escalated in late August when France, the UK, and Germany (the E3) said they had triggered the agreement’s “snapback” provision, seeking reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran. The measures include an arms embargo, limits on missile activity, asset freezes, financial restrictions, and prohibitions related to uranium enrichment and reprocessing. Araghchi called the E3 move a “clear abuse of process and contrary to both the letter and spirit of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA,” and cited Iran’s “constructive engagement” and consultations with European participants, as well as contacts with the United States, as evidence of continued diplomatic intent.
Whether other Security Council members accept the E3 position or Iran’s interpretation will shape the next phase of the dispute at the UN.