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Foreign ministers

Iran's Foreign Minister Challenges Revival of Terminated UN Security Council Resolution

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Iran's Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, has emphasized in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council that reviving terminated resolutions lacks a legal foundation and is incapable of producing a binding effect. The letter reiterates Iran's position on the definitive expiration and termination of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) on October 18, 2025. According to Araghchi, the three European States, despite their consistent commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), failed to honor their commitments, imposing additional unlawful sanctions on Iranian nationals and entities.

Iran has exercised maximum restraint and engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts to restore balance and preserve the agreement. However, these efforts were met with acts of sabotage and aggression against Iran's safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities. The European States' attempt to invoke the so-called "snapback" mechanism bypassing the dispute-resolution process established by the JCPOA is deemed procedurally defective and substantively void. The Islamic Republic of Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and emphasizes that the procedure pursued by the three European States constitutes a clear abuse of process.

Key Takeaways:

  • In a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that reviving terminated resolutions lacks a legal foundation and is incapable of producing a binding effect.
  • The letter referenced the definitive expiration and termination of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) on October 18, 2025.
  • Iran, consistent with its commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has exercised maximum restraint and engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts to restore balance and preserve the agreement.
  • The European States' failure to honor their commitments and impose additional unlawful sanctions on Iranian nationals and entities is stressed as a critical point of disparity.
  • The attempt by the three European States to invoke the so-called "snapback" mechanism bypassing the dispute-resolution process established by the JCPOA is deemed procedurally defective and substantively void.
  • Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and emphasizes that the procedure pursued by the three European States constitutes a clear abuse of process.

Statistics:

  • 18 October 2025: The date on which Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) terminated.
  • 20 signatory countries to the JCPOA expressed support for Iran's position on the legality of the "snapback" mechanism.
  • The three European States (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) imposed additional unlawful sanctions on Iranian nationals and entities in direct contravention of their JCPOA commitments.
  • 121 Member States of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) reaffirmed the timely termination of resolution 2231 in their Final Document.

Sources:

  • A/80/406–S/2025/602: Letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, dated 27 September 2025.
  • A/79/1004-S/2025/546: Joint letter from the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China, and the Russian Federation to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, dated 28 August 2025.

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