A landmark 10-year deal signed by world powers with Iran to rein in its nuclear program officially ends on October 18.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday night that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 will formally expire on that date.

With its expiration, all previous UN Security Council restrictions on Iran will be lifted, and the Iranian nuclear issue will be removed from the Council's agenda, the top diplomat said.

Adopted unanimously on July 20, 2015, Resolution 2231 endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the landmark nuclear agreement – and imposed a series of limits on Iran's nuclear-related activities. Under its terms, these measures were set to expire ten years after adoption, on October 18, 2025.

Posting on X, Araghchi reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to its obligations and rights under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

"As an NPT signatory, Iran will remain bound solely by its rights and obligations under the Treaty," he wrote. "This includes no limits whatsoever on the scale of its nuclear program, and cooperation with the IAEA only within the framework of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and in accordance with the recent legislation adopted by the Iranian Parliament."

He added, "Iran's sovereign rights are neither negotiable nor subject to political pressure. The rule of law – not coercion – must prevail."

Negotiations stalled

The JCPOA, reached in Vienna in July 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, plus Germany) and the European Union, required Tehran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

However, in 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to gradually reduce compliance with its commitments.

Since the start of this year, the U.S. government has threatened military action against Iran, demanding that Tehran engage in negotiations. Beginning in April, five rounds of indirect talks were held over the nuclear issue and the lifting of U.S. sanctions. Washington has insisted that Iran completely abandon uranium enrichment, a demand Iran has rejected, emphasizing its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Negotiations came to a halt in June after U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has since stated that resuming talks would require assurances that it would not face further attacks during negotiations – a demand Washington has not addressed.

Meanwhile, France, Britain, and Germany – collectively known as the E3 – triggered the nuclear deal's "snapback" mechanism in late August, citing Iran's "persistent and significant non-performance." Tehran, however, maintained that its nuclear program remains entirely peaceful.

The "snapback" provision allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions within 30 days if Iran is deemed in breach of the deal.

On September 19, the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution extending JCPOA-related sanctions relief. A subsequent proposal for a six-month extension of both the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 also failed to pass.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Geng Shuang, expressed disappointment over the outcome. "The current situation has reached a critical juncture. We call on all parties to exercise calm and restraint, continue dialogue and engagement, handle the predicament prudently, and avoid escalating tensions," Geng said.

As Resolution 2231 reaches its sunset, Iran faces a pivotal moment in shaping its future course. Araghchi has emphasized that any attempt to reimpose sanctions after October 17 would be "null and void."

The death of the 2015 deal "creates space to explore creative solutions to the Iranian nuclear crisis," Arms Control Association expert Kelsey Davenport told AFP.

"Diplomacy remains the only viable option to reduce Iran's proliferation risk in the long term," Davenport said, while warning that the more time elapses, "the more challenging it will be to negotiate a deal down the road and the greater the risk of conflict re-erupting."