Iran declares UN nuclear restrictions expired, reaffirms NPT rights

Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on October 18 highlighting the expiration of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which had overseen restrictions on the country’s nuclear program for the past decade. 

The ministry stressed that with the resolution’s expiration, Iran’s nuclear program should now be treated like that of any other non-nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

The statement underscored that Iran is bound solely by the NPT, with no additional limitations, and noted that the original goal of Resolution 2231—ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program—has been fully achieved. The ministry cited International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports confirming there has been no diversion of nuclear activities toward military purposes, despite pressure from the United States and European allies.

Iran condemned the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and the European trio’s (UK, France, Germany) failure to uphold commitments, including attempts to trigger the deal’s “snapback” mechanism to reimpose sanctions. The ministry called any effort to revive expired Security Council resolutions or re-establish sanctions committees as illegal and urged UN member states to reject such claims.

The statement also denounced an alleged “unlawful and unprovoked” attack by the US and Israel in June, which reportedly killed over 1,000 people and damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, describing it as a violation of international law and the NPT.

Iran expressed appreciation for countries including China, Russia, Algeria, Pakistan, South Korea, and Guyana for opposing Western attempts to manipulate the JCPOA’s dispute mechanism, as well as for support from the Non-Aligned Movement and the Friends of the UN Charter group in upholding the termination of Resolution 2231.

The ministry concluded by reaffirming Iran’s commitment to diplomacy while defending the country’s legitimate rights, including the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

By Vugar Khalilov