In joint letter to Grossi:
Iran, Russia, China terminate IAEA mandate on Tehran’s nuclear program
Iran, China, and Russia in a joint letter to the UN nuclear agency affirmed the termination of the agency’s reporting concerning Iran’s nuclear energy program and the expiration of the Security Council Resolution 2231.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, in a post on X on Friday said that ambassadors and permanent representatives of China, Iran and Russia sent the letter to Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.
It came after the three countries’ joint letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations and President of the Security Council declaring the termination of Resolution 2231 on October 18, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
In the letter to the IAEA chief, he noted, the three countries reaffirmed the “illegal” move by the European trio — Britain, France and Germany — to invoke the so-called snapback mechanism and the expiration of all provisions of Resolution 2231 on October 18, 2025.
"But there is another key point which relates to the end of the mandate of the IAEA Director General's reporting on verification and monitoring under the Resolution 2231 and the implementation of the JCPOA,” Gharibabadi emphasized, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
According to the Iranian diplomat, the letter asserted that in the IAEA, “the implementation of the JCPOA, as well as verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of UNSCR 2231, were enacted by the resolution of the Board of Governors of 15 December 2015(GOV/2015/72).”
He said, “Operative paragraph 14 of this Resolution unequivocally stipulates that the Board 'decides to remain seized of the matter until ten years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the Director General reports that the Agency has reached the broader conclusion for Iran, whichever is earlier'."
“Consequently, as of 18 October 2025, the related agenda item has been automatically removed from the agenda of the Board of Governors, and no further action is required in this regard,” Gharibabadi pointed out.
End of UN restrictions
On October 18, Tehran declared an end to all UN restrictions on its nuclear program following the expiration of Security Council resolution 2231.
In 2015, Iran and world powers – including France, Britain and Germany – reached an agreement that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and reimposed biting economic sanctions.
Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington's withdrawal, and then began rolling back on its commitments.
The European parties to the deal failed to fulfill their commitments to the agreement. Several rounds of talks to revive the agreement failed, and in August, the UK, Germany and France triggered the “snapback” process on the pretext of Iran’s non-compliance with its obligations, leading to the re-imposition of the UN sanctions.
Iran has rejected the legality of the triggering the snapback of UN sanctions, calling the mechanism “null and void” and a “fabricated” term.