JCPOA Ends: What Iran’s Nuclear Deal Expiry Means For The World And Global Sanctions | World News

New York: Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the 10-year nuclear deal reached with world powers in 2015 has officially ended. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, Germany, the UK and the USA) and the European Union (EU) in Vienna.

The deal restricted Iran’s civilian nuclear program and mandated unprecedented inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. The “termination day” was set as October 18, 2025, exactly 10 years after the UN Security Council approved the agreement with Resolution 2231.

Resolution 2231, adopted unanimously on July 20, 2015, formally ratified the JCPOA, which lifted previous UN sanctions and annulled six previous Security Council resolutions targeting Iran’s nuclear activities.

The resolution excluded Iran from Chapter 41 of the UN Charter, ending provisions that allowed the Security Council to impose economic sanctions, block transport links or sever diplomatic relations without military force. Iran has faced restrictions on conventional weapons for five years and restrictions on ballistic missile activities for eight years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was tasked with verifying compliance and reporting regularly to the UN Council.

The 10-year period ended with the IAEA never reporting any moves by Iran to produce nuclear weapons. Iran now considers its nuclear file and all related mechanisms to be terminated. “All provisions of the agreement, including restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and related mechanisms, are deemed to have been terminated,” the State Department said in a statement on Saturday.

Diplomacy remains Tehran’s stated preference.

The JCPOA was weakened after the United States unilaterally withdrew and reimposed sanctions in May 2018. Iran continued to comply for a year while waiting for European parties to provide economic benefits. When the Europeans failed to fulfill their obligations, Iran gradually withdrew its commitments under Articles 26 and 36, which allow a signatory to suspend or reduce its obligations if others fail to fulfill their obligations.

Tensions escalated as Iran, after showing strategic patience, increased its uranium enrichment levels. Enrichment in medical isotopes and research reactor fuel reached 60 percent; weapon grade is below 90 percent. Officials emphasized that these steps could be reversed if the sanctions are lifted and the agreement is re-established.

The JCPOA included a fallback mechanism that would allow any party to reinstate previous UN sanctions if Iran committed a “significant” violation. On 28 August 2025, the European trio, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, activated the rollback by reimposing sanctions on arms transfers, missile activities and financial dealings. Tehran rejected the move as politically motivated and lacked “moral and legal authority” and warned that it would end its involvement in Europe’s nuclear dossier.

The reversal followed an IAEA report in June that accused Iran of a “general lack of cooperation” and claimed sufficient amounts of enriched uranium for nine nuclear bombs. The IAEA Executive Board declared on June 12 that Iran had violated its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. Iran denounced the report as politically motivated and designed to pressure concessions during indirect negotiations with the United States.

The next day, Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities and assassinated top nuclear scientists and military commanders. The United States participated in the bombing of three important areas. More than 1,000 civilians were killed in the 12-day war in Iran. Israeli-occupied towns turned into ghost towns as Iran’s ballistic missiles penetrated its multi-layered air defenses.

Diplomacy collapsed after Oman-brokered negotiations failed. Iran remained open to negotiations only if Washington guaranteed protection from military action.

Following the conflict, the Iranian Parliament suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the watchdog of providing a pretext for an attack on Israel. Withdrawal sanctions further complicated diplomacy. Foreign Minister Araghchi stated last week that he “sees no reason to negotiate” after Tehran backed down with the Europeans. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday that the termination of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 would render the sanctions “null and void”.

Iran has maintained its nuclear energy program since the 1950s. Western aid in the 1970s slowed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, followed by decades of sanctions and sabotage. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and emphasizes peaceful energy goals. The IAEA and US intelligence do not accept any evidence of the military dimension of the incident.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegations spanning more than three decades, including providing fabricated intelligence to the United Nations, have yet to be proven. Israel is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iranian leaders insist the country will not abandon its peaceful nuclear program, a right recognized under the NPT and defended at great national cost.

The termination of the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 marks the official end of the decade-long nuclear agreement era. Iran now claims full autonomy over its nuclear program, sanctions have been lifted or terminated, and it also remains ready for diplomacy under guaranteed conditions.