WANA (Oct 18) – Hamid Ghanbari, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy, announced that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 officially expires today, emphasizing that the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are “explicit and not open to interpretation.”

 

In an interview, Ghanbari highlighted the official and legal end of the restrictions outlined in the JCPOA, stating: “According to the provisions and timelines specified in the agreement, the restrictions related to Iran have expired after the designated period, fully in line with the text of the accord.”

 

He reiterated that the JCPOA’s terms are explicit and binding, noting: “Under this agreement, Iran was released from UN Security Council sanctions after implementing its obligations, and with the expiration of the specified timeframe, the remaining restrictions have now formally ended.”

 

Responding to the recent claims by the three European countries (Britain, France, and Germany) regarding the activation of the ‘snapback mechanism’ against Iran, Ghanbari said:

 

“Their recent move mirrors what the United States did years ago after withdrawing from the JCPOA. Despite abandoning the deal and failing to honor its commitments, Washington falsely claimed the right to trigger the mechanism to reimpose sanctions — a claim the international community rejected as illegal and illegitimate.”

 

He added that the European countries’ current approach resembles the same unlawful action, arguing that their alignment with U.S. policies and misuse of JCPOA provisions show “bad faith” and an attempt to restore Security Council sanctions against Iran.

 

Ghanbari stressed that this effort has faced broad opposition from many countries, including permanent members of the Security Council and members of the Non-Aligned Movement, who view it as contrary to legal and political principles.

 

He concluded: “The claim by the three European countries that the snapback mechanism remains active is legally and politically baseless and unacceptable to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

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Nuclear deal negotiators pose for a photo at the UN building in Vienna, Austria. Social media/ WANA News Agency