Res. 2231 expires tomorrow, Iran no longer bound by curbs: Araghchi

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Social media
17 Oct 2025 22:29
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Tehran says all UN restrictions tied to the 2015 nuclear deal have ended, vowing to expand its nuclear program under NPT rules and reject renewed Western sanctions.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 (AP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially expires on October 18, marking the termination of all past UNSC restrictions against Iran.

In a post on X, Araghchi said more than 120 nations joined Iran at the recent Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Summit in Kampala in recognizing this “reality". He stated that, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran will now be bound only by its obligations under the treaty, with no limitations on the scale of its nuclear program.

Cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he added, will continue strictly within the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and in accordance with Iranian parliamentary legislation.

At the recent NAM Ministerial Summit in Kampala, more than 120 nations joined Iran in recognizing reality:

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 expires tomorrow 18 October, thereby terminating all past UNSC restrictions against Iran and removing Iran from the Security Council's…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) October 17, 2025

Araghchi criticized what he called the “unlawful measures” of a few “isolated governments", saying their continued efforts to “distort reality” would only deepen their isolation. “Iran’s sovereign rights are neither negotiable nor subject to political pressure,” he wrote, emphasizing that “the rule of law, not coercion, must prevail.”

This comes shortly after Iran’s Foreign Minister announced Thursday that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has expressed clear support for Iran in its opposition to a European-led effort to reinstate snapback sanctions at the UN Security Council.

Speaking to IRIB in Kampala, Uganda, where the 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau was held on October 15–16, Araghchi confirmed that the summit's final statement contains a significant clause affirming support for Iran’s position.

“This is of exceptional importance,” the top Iranian diplomat stated, “as the declaration reaffirms that Resolution 2231 is still in effect and that its provisions, including the timeline for lifting restrictions, must be fully respected.”

Araghchi noted that Russia, China, and several other member states of the UN Security Council share Iran’s position, rejecting the legitimacy of the so-called snapback mechanism initiated by the E3, the UK, Germany, and France.

“This is truly a major achievement for the Islamic Republic of Iran, as nearly all NAM members, over 100 countries, have supported this position,” Araghchi emphasized.

Resolution 2231 timeline must be respected

The snapback process was triggered on August 28, when the E3 invoked the 30-day mechanism to restore all sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran has rejected the move, calling it legally invalid due to the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 and the E3’s alignment with unlawful anti-Iran sanctions.

UN Resolution 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA, stipulates that all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran are to be permanently lifted by October 18, 2025. Araghchi emphasized that Paragraph 8 of the resolution mandates the automatic termination of restrictions on that date.

He described the NAM’s unified position as a diplomatic win for Iran in its ongoing standoff with the US and European powers. He reiterated that the overwhelming majority of NAM countries had formally rejected the legal standing of the snapback procedure and had reaffirmed the need to uphold international agreements.

Iran, Russia, China to notify UN of end to Resolution 2231 sanctions

In a similar vein, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, announced on Thursday that Iran, Russia, and China will jointly send a message to the United Nations and the Security Council on Friday, declaring the expiration of Resolution 2231 and the termination of sanctions imposed under it.

Gharibabadi said Tehran had secured broad international backing for its position, rejecting the reinstated Western sanctions during the recent Non-Aligned Movement foreign ministers’ meeting, noting that at least 120 countries expressed support for Iran’s legal stance.

He stressed that the sanctions reinstated by the E3, Britain, France, and Germany, are “not binding and considered illegal.”

The Iranian official also noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General’s quarterly reporting on Iran’s nuclear program will cease, following the expiration of Resolution 2231’s mandate.