Iran, China, and Russia Declare Termination of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 in Joint Letter to UN Chief
New York, The Gulf Observer: Iran, China, and Russia have jointly informed the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres of the termination of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
In a joint letter submitted to the United Nations on Friday, the three countries affirmed that all provisions of Resolution 2231 “are terminated after 18 October 2025,” in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of the resolution.
The date, they noted, “marks the end of the Security Council’s consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue.”
End of the UNSC Mandate on the JCPOA
Adopted in 2015, Resolution 2231 endorsed the JCPOA — a landmark accord between Iran and the P5+1 group (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany) — which sought to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting nuclear-related sanctions.
Under the resolution, the UN suspended a range of sanctions imposed on Iran, marking a major step toward diplomatic engagement and nuclear non-proliferation.
However, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 under the Trump administration and reimposed sanctions against Tehran, a move widely condemned as a violation of international law.
In 2020, Washington also made an unsuccessful attempt to invoke the “snapback” mechanism, which would have reinstated all UN sanctions.
Iran, China, and Russia Challenge European Moves
The letter from Tehran, Beijing, and Moscow further criticized recent efforts by European signatories — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) — to reactivate sanctions against Iran.
The diplomats asserted that the E3 “lack the legal standing to invoke the provisions of the JCPOA”, noting that they had themselves failed to fulfill their commitments under both the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, and had not completed the procedures under the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM).
They added that the Security Council’s adherence to the resolution’s expiration date strengthens both the Council’s authority and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy.
Upholding Multilateralism and Diplomacy
The joint communication underscored the allies’ shared view that the expiration of Resolution 2231 represents the natural conclusion of the Security Council’s mandate on Iran’s nuclear file.
“The end of the resolution’s provisions reaffirms the principle that international agreements must be respected in both letter and spirit,” the letter stated.
The diplomats also called on all parties to foster a constructive atmosphere for continued diplomatic engagement, emphasizing that cooperation — not coercion — remains essential to advancing peace and stability.
With the formal termination of Resolution 2231 set for October 18, 2025, the joint declaration by Iran, China, and Russia marks a pivotal moment in the decade-long evolution of the Iranian nuclear issue — signaling both a reaffirmation of multilateral diplomacy and a challenge to unilateral sanctions approaches.
