A major international agreement created to curb the spread of nuclear weapons has officially ended, with Iran proclaiming the end of the 10-year-old accord.
Historic Agreement Formally Terminated
The Iranian government declared on Saturday that it was free from obligations by the 2015 pact, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which international sanctions were removed in return for limitations on Tehran's nuclear program.
Henceforth “all of the provisions [of the 2015 deal], encompassing the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and the related processes are regarded as concluded”, the Iranian foreign ministry stated in a statement.
Nevertheless, it added that the nation “strongly declares its dedication to diplomacy”.
Background of the Agreement
Agreed upon in the Austrian capital by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, the pact aimed to end the years-long diplomatic dispute and signify the start of a new era in ties between Tehran and the Western nations.
While the deal officially ends on Saturday, it has been in chaos for years.
Major Developments Preceding the End
- In 2018, in his first term, Donald Trump displeased his European allies by independently withdrawing the United States from the deal and reimposing sanctions.
- As a result of the US withdrawal, Tehran started stepping up its atomic programme.
- EU-brokered negotiations to restore the agreement have failed, and this summer’s military attacks on Iran by Tel Aviv and the United States left prospects for a renewal at a historic low.
Latest Developments
After the 12-day conflict in last June, the Iranian parliament passed a law to decline to work with the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear inspectorate.
This resulted in signatories the UK, Berlin and France activating the known as “snapback” mechanism, resulting in the reinstatement of the United Nations sanctions.
These automatic sanctions in effect made a symbolic step of “termination day”, which was scheduled for 18 October, precisely 10 years after the approval of UN security council resolution 2231.
Global Responses
Last month, when the snapback restrictions were implemented, the UK, French and Berlin top diplomats said in a joint statement they would continue to pursue “a fresh political resolution to ensure Iran does not gets a atomic weapon”.
The European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the measures “cannot be the end of diplomacy” and that “a lasting resolution to the Iran's atomic problem can only be achieved through talks”.
Prospective Prospects
Earlier this week, Trump expressed that he desired a peace agreement with Iran, while Iran has repeatedly said it is willing to negotiations with the US, on condition that Washington offers assurances against armed conflict during any possible discussions.
The three European powers also last week declared they would seek to restart negotiations to reach a “all-encompassing, long-lasting and verifiable agreement”.
Still, relations between the Western countries and Tehran remain strained. The US had already enforced large restrictions, including trying to compel all countries to shun Iranian crude oil. Several rounds of mediated by Oman talks in recent months between Tehran and the US did not succeed to reach an accord.
The Iranian foreign minister, the deputy foreign minister, commented last week that Tehran did “perceive no any reason to negotiate” with European powers, given that they activated the automatic reinstatement process.
Persistent Accusations
Western authorities and Tel Aviv have for years alleged Tehran of attempting to obtain atomic weapons, a allegation Tehran rejects, stating its programme is energy and civil-focused.
Iran is expected to mark the official end date with a announcement later on on the weekend at the United Nations in NYC.
