The provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 have officially expired, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday, adding that the framework that endorsed the 2015 nuclear agreement came to an end.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Baghaei said Iran had notified the United Nations that “with the end of Resolution 2231 on October 18, its provisions have officially terminated.”
Iran’s nuclear rights, he said, remain valid, including the right to enrich uranium and pursue nuclear research and development.
“The rights gained under this resolution, such as enrichment and the expansion of peaceful nuclear activities, continue to stand,” Baghaei added, describing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as “a temporary and conditional understanding.”
Baghaei also accused the United States of violating international law by withdrawing from the deal in 2018 and criticized European governments for following Washington’s lead and failing to meet their own obligations.
His comments came as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi formally informed the UN that Iran will no longer implement any of its remaining nuclear-deal commitments.
In a letter to the secretary-general and the president of the Security Council on Saturday, Araghchi said Resolution 2231 had expired “in full accordance with its explicit provisions” and that all restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program had lapsed, ending the Council’s oversight of Tehran’s activities.
"Iran had implemented the JCPOA in good faith and with full precision, while the United States had grossly violated international law by reimposing unilateral sanctions," Araghchi said.
Russia and China back Iran’s stance at UN
Iran’s position on the termination of Resolution 2231, Baghaei said, was supported by Russia and China, two permanent members of the Security Council that opposed efforts by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to trigger the snapback of UN sanctions.
This outcome, he added, reflected “months of sustained diplomatic engagement,” particularly following talks in New York and the Cairo accord reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“Moscow and Beijing both made clear that the European powers lacked the legal standing to use the mechanism, since they had already violated the JCPOA.”
Contacts through intermediaries not formal negotiations
Addressing speculation about indirect communications with Washington, Baghaei said contacts through intermediaries “do not signify the start of official negotiations.”
While countries such as Egypt have sought to use their channels to ease tensions, he said, “real dialogue can only occur when both sides reach a shared understanding based on mutual respect.”
Recent discussions between Iran and Egypt centered on the Gaza conflict and the need for an immediate ceasefire, Baghaei said, adding that Tehran’s engagement with Cairo “has focused solely on humanitarian and regional stability issues.”
Joint letter with Russia and China sent to UN
Iran, Russia, and China reiterated their shared position in a joint letter sent to the UN Security Council on Sunday, emphasizing that Resolution 2231 had expired in accordance with its terms, the spokesman added.
“The letter reaffirmed that no valid decision had been adopted to reinstate the previous sanctions and that the legal confusion caused by the European powers’ action holds no bearing on Iran’s rights or its future nuclear activities.”
“The attempt to misuse international institutions for political ends” has created what he called a legal and procedural deadlock, for which “the responsibility lies entirely with the three European governments, not Iran.”
