Tehran withdraws from 2015 agreement that exchanged sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions
A major international nuclear agreement has reached its official conclusion, with Iran announcing Saturday that it is withdrawing from the decade-old accord designed to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation.
Tehran declared it would no longer abide by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had traded the lifting of international sanctions for constraints on Iran’s nuclear activities.
According to Iran’s foreign ministry, “all of the provisions [of the 2015 deal], including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear programme and the related mechanisms are considered terminated.” The ministry emphasized, however, that Iran “firmly expresses its commitment to diplomacy.”
Background of the Agreement
The JCPOA was signed in Vienna by seven parties: Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Diplomats hoped the accord would resolve years of tensions and open a new chapter in Iran-Western relations.
Years of Deterioration
Though officially expiring Saturday, the agreement had been unraveling for years. The pivotal moment came in 2018 when President Donald Trump, during his first term, withdrew the U.S. from the deal and reimposed sanctions—a move that frustrated European allies. Trump opposed the agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama, influenced partly by pressure from Israel, Iran’s regional adversary.
Following America’s exit, Tehran progressively expanded its nuclear activities.
European attempts to salvage the agreement proved unsuccessful. The situation worsened after U.S. and Israeli bombing campaigns against Iran last summer, which dealt a severe blow to any revival prospects.
Following a 12-day conflict in June, Iran’s parliament voted to end cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.
This prompted Britain, Germany, and France to activate the “snapback” mechanism—a provision allowing automatic reinstatement of all U.N. sanctions if Iran seriously breached its nuclear obligations.
These reimposed sanctions essentially formalized today’s “termination day,” which arrived exactly 10 years after U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 was adopted on October 18.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue
When snapback sanctions took effect last month, British, French, and German foreign ministers jointly pledged to pursue “a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that sanctions “must not be the end of diplomacy,” noting that “a sustainable solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through negotiations.”
This week, Trump expressed interest in reaching a peace agreement with Iran. Tehran has repeatedly indicated willingness to engage with Washington, contingent on receiving guarantees against military strikes during negotiations.
The three European nations announced plans last week to pursue talks aimed at establishing a “comprehensive, durable and verifiable agreement.”
Ongoing Tensions
Relations between Iran and Western powers remain fraught. The U.S. maintains extensive sanctions, including efforts to curtail global purchases of Iranian oil. Multiple rounds of Oman-mediated discussions between Tehran and Washington this year failed to yield results.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week that Tehran saw “no reason to negotiate” with European powers after they triggered the snapback mechanism.
Western governments and Israel have long maintained that Iran seeks nuclear weapons capability—allegations Tehran consistently rejects, insisting its program serves energy and civilian purposes.
Iran is scheduled to issue a formal statement on the termination later Saturday at the United Nations in New York.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.
