Iran, Russia, China Declare End of UNSC Resolution 2231
WANA (Oct 17) – Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, announced that Iran, Russia, and China will jointly send a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on Saturday, declaring that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 has expired and that countries are no longer obligated to enforce related sanctions.
Speaking in a television interview ahead of October 18, the official said Tehran has undertaken a broad diplomatic initiative to counter what it describes as the duplicity of Western countries and the United States, gathering support for Iran’s legal interpretation of the resolution’s expiration.
Gharibabadi highlighted a recent Non-Aligned Movement foreign ministers’ meeting in Uganda, where over 121 member states affirmed that Resolution 2231 would end on October 18, underscoring the significance of broad international backing.
He also referenced a statement from 21 countries belonging to the UN Charter Friends Group in New York, which declared that sanctions unilaterally re-imposed by the West and the United States are legally invalid, and that UN member states are not obliged to implement them.
Noting that Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a similar statement, Gharibabadi added that the upcoming letter from Iran, China, and Russia will formally inform the UN Secretary-General and Security Council President that Resolution 2231 has ended and associated sanctions hold no binding force.
The deputy minister emphasized Iran’s ongoing efforts to build international consensus and ensure that its legal interpretation of the resolution’s expiration and the invalidity of Western-imposed sanctions is widely recognized.
He also addressed the impact on Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noting that previously the IAEA Director-General submitted quarterly reports on Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA, but with the end of Resolution 2231, such reporting will no longer be mandatory for the Board of Governors.
