The contentious UN chapter concerning Iran’s nuclear program has formally concluded, with Iran, Russia, and China declaring that Resolution 2231 is no longer in effect. These three nations have officially communicated to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the resolution’s provisions terminate after October 18, 2025, as stipulated in operative paragraph 8.
This declaration, sent by the permanent missions of Iran, Russia, and China, signals the end of the UN Security Council’s engagement with the Iranian nuclear file. Resolution 2231 was a key element in endorsing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The JCPOA was initially celebrated as a diplomatic breakthrough.
The agreement’s collapse began in 2018 when the US withdrew and reimposed sanctions, an act Iran and its allies condemned. The US also failed in its attempt to trigger the JCPOA’s “snapback” mechanism in 2020. Subsequently, European powers—Britain, France, and Germany—froze trade and abandoned their commitments, based on unverified claims about Iran’s nuclear program. The IAEA has not confirmed these allegations despite rigorous inspections.
More recently, the European trio attempted to revive sanctions via the snapback process, a move dismissed as baseless by Iran, Russia, and China. Their joint letter to the UN highlighted that the European states had forfeited their right to invoke the snapback provisions by failing to fulfill their own JCPOA obligations and by not utilizing the designated dispute resolution procedures. The allies emphasized that honoring the October 18 expiry date strengthens the UN Security Council and the principles of multilateral diplomacy.
Their appeal calls for collective efforts to foster an environment ripe for diplomatic solutions. This marks a significant turning point after years of international friction. For Tehran and its partners, October 18, 2025, symbolizes the definitive end of Western leverage concerning Iran’s nuclear program under the UN framework.