Tehran [Iran], October 19 (ANI): Iran, China, and Russia have sent a joint letter to the United Nations Secretary-General and the UN Security Council (UNSC), declaring that the nuclear deal with Tehran has been terminated, “marking the end of the Security Council’s consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue,” Iranian state media IRNA reported on Sunday.
The three nations also criticized the UK, France, and Germany—collectively known as the E3—for attempting to trigger the “snapback” mechanism to reinstate previously lifted sanctions under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
The letter stated that the E3 nations had “no legal right” to restore the sanctions given their own non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “The attempt by the E3 to trigger the so-called ‘snapback’ is by default legally and procedurally flawed,” the letter read. It added that since the European parties “ceased to perform their commitments under both the JCPOA and Resolution 2231,” they lack standing to invoke its provisions.
Iran, China, and Russia further affirmed that “in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of Resolution 2231, all its provisions are terminated after October 18, 2025.” The date, they said, “marks the end of the Security Council’s consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was quoted by IRNA on Saturday as saying that five key documents issued by independent nations “clearly and substantively” refuted the E3’s “invalid and illegal” attempt to reinstate previously lifted sanctions.
The JCPOA, signed in 2015, was an agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group—the US, China, Russia, France, Germany, and the UK—that limited Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of nuclear-related sanctions. The United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed its sanctions.
UNSC Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear agreement, was valid for ten years and governed Iran’s nuclear program under the Council’s framework.
Meanwhile, Iran, Russia, and China urged all parties to remain committed to finding a political settlement through diplomatic dialogue based on mutual respect and to refrain from unilateral sanctions, threats, or actions that could escalate tensions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted excerpts of the joint letter—addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Security Council—on his X account.
The letter accused Western allies of succumbing to American pressure, betraying their pledge to reinstate the United States into the deal, and suspending their trade with Iran. It also rejected Western claims of Iranian nuclear “diversion,” noting that such allegations had never been verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency despite extensive inspections.
The three nations concluded that adherence to the resolution’s expiration date “contributes to strengthening the authority of the Council and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy.” (ANI)
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