The 10-year nuclear deal between Iran and world powers expired on Saturday, with Tehran announcing it is no longer bound by the 2015 agreement.
From now on, “all of the [2015 deal] provisions, including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and the related mechanisms, are considered terminated,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement, adding, however, that the Islamic Republic remains committed to diplomacy, AFP reported.
Under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), financial sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for limitations on its nuclear program.
The termination of the deal comes on the backdrop of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, which targeted the country’s nuclear sites as well as a host of nuclear scientists. The U.S. joined Israel’s campaign against Tehran, bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 21.
Since the war’s conclusion, Iran has refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog.
This prompted the United Nations, led by Britain, France and Germany, to on Sept. 27 reimpose international sanctions on Iran under the “snapback” mechanism built into the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal. The mechanism restored restrictions on arms transfers, missile technology and sensitive financial dealings.
Before the war in June, the IAEA announced for the first time in nearly two decades that Iran was in violation of its nonproliferation commitments.
This move paved the way to reimpose the international sanctions on Iran.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran did “not see any reason to negotiate” with European powers, given that they had triggered the snapback mechanism.
Iran was expected to issue a statement on the expiration of the JCPOA later on Saturday, at the U.N. in New York.
