By Akazue Favour
Iran Declares End to Nuclear Deal Commitments, Reaffirms Diplomatic Stance
Iran has announced that it is no longer bound by the restrictions of the 2015 nuclear agreement, marking the official expiration of the decade-old deal that once sought to limit Tehran’s atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
In a statement released on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said all obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have now “expired” following the deal’s ten-year term. The ministry, however, stressed that Iran remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy.
“The provisions of the JCPOA, including all restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and related mechanisms, are considered terminated,” the statement read. “Iran firmly expresses its commitment to diplomacy.”
The agreement, brokered in Vienna in 2015 between Iran and six world powers — the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany — had lifted international sanctions in return for limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities. But the accord began to unravel in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to gradually reduce its commitments.
Last month, the three European signatories — Britain, France, and Germany — backed the reactivation of UN sanctions on Iran, a move that Tehran has condemned as illegal and politically motivated.
Iranian officials insist that the country’s nuclear programme is strictly for peaceful purposes, including energy generation, and not aimed at developing weapons. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran continues to enrich uranium up to 60 percent purity — a level close to that required for nuclear arms.
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Tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities have escalated in recent months. Tehran suspended cooperation with the IAEA in July, accusing the agency of bias and inaction following Israeli and U.S. attacks on its facilities during a brief conflict with Israel.
In a letter to the United Nations, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the deal’s expiration as rendering the revived sanctions “null and void,” calling out what he described as the “irresponsible actions” of the European parties.
Despite the collapse of the agreement, Iranian leaders maintain that the door to negotiations remains open, provided Western nations respect Iran’s sovereignty and fulfill their own commitments.