Russia urges end to UN review of Iran’s nuclear program after JCPOA expiry

The ministry issued a statement on Friday, a day ahead of the expiration of the ten-year period established by UNSC Resolution 2231 that endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The ministry said, starting on Saturday (October 18), all the restrictions and procedures outlined in this resolution must be lifted, and the UN Security Council is required to end its review of issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Further in its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized European signatories to the JCPOA, namely France, Britain, and Germany, for their attempts to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, arguing that their attempts could not be regarded as successful due to their repeated violations of the terms of Resolution 2231.

Noting that the Europeans have decided to disregard any legal formalities that might hinder their confrontational approach, Russia emphasized that under international law, a party that systematically violates an agreement cannot benefit from the mechanisms and advantages established by that agreement.

Moscow also said that the illegal actions by France, Britain, and Germany were taken under support of the United States that had already withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also underlined that the UN Secretariat cannot impose legal obligations on countries and called for the removal of misleading information regarding the reinstatement of sanctions from the UN website.

With the JCPOA’s expiration, Russia stated that Iran’s nuclear program should henceforth be treated like that of any non-nuclear state under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

According to the statement, the goal of the JCPOA was to achieve the comprehensive lifting of all UNSC sanctions, as well as multilateral sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program. As far as the UN is concerned, this process is now complete. Therefore, reinstating the imposed restrictions by circumventing the council is illegal.

The ministry expressed its commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the situation and urged all parties to focus on preventing escalating tensions that could threaten regional and global security.

The statement also reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Iran across various sectors while adhering to national laws and international obligations. A strategic treaty between Russia and Iran, which came into effect on October 2, 2025, serves as a solid foundation for these relations.