Tehran declares that it is no longer subject to limitations on its atomic program, but reiterates its commitment to diplomacy amid new sanctions from European powers
He said this Saturday (18) that he is no longer subject to limitations on his nuclear program following the expiration today of the 2015 nuclear agreement, although he emphasized that he remains committed to diplomacy. “All provisions of the agreement, including restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and related mechanisms, are considered terminated,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The 2015 nuclear deal, signed between Iran and world powers, limited Tehran’s atomic program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions imposed against the country. The pact, however, had been moribund since they abandoned it in 2018 and once again imposed punitive measures against the Persian country, to which the Islamic Republic responded by gradually accelerating its nuclear program until it reached 60% uranium enrichment, far above that allowed by the agreement.
The agreement established October 18, 2025 as its expiration date, that is, ten years after its ratification by resolution 2231. However, on September 28, the resolutions prior to the signing of the pact were restored, which prohibit the country from enriching uranium and carrying out ballistic activities, establishing an arms embargo and freezing assets, and authorizing inspections of Iranian planes and ships in international waters, in addition to impose banking and financial limitations.
The measure was promoted by France, Germany and the United Kingdom (E3), as they considered that Tehran had not fulfilled its commitments. Even so, the Iranian Foreign Ministry assured that it remains committed to diplomacy, but demanded that the country’s nuclear program be eliminated from the UN Security Council’s pending matters.
“The Iranian nuclear program must be treated in the same way as any nuclear program of a country that is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that does not possess nuclear weapons,” the ministry stressed.
The statement also denounced the E3’s “abuse” of the mechanism for automatic reinstatement of UN sanctions against Tehran and emphasized that the action of the three European countries “does not in any way affect the legal provisions of resolution 2231, including its expiration date.”
*With information from EFE
Published by Nícolas Robert
