Iran, China, Russia Declare UNSCR 2231 Expired

“China, Iran and Russia ‘affirm that the attempt by E3 to trigger the so-called snapback is, by default, legally and procedurally flawed’,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on his X account on Saturday night, referring to a joint letter from the representatives of Iran, China and Russia at the UN.

“China, Iran and Russia ‘affirm that in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of resolution 2231, all its provisions are terminated after 18 October 2025’,” Araqchi added.

Saeed Iravani, Fu Cong and Dmitry Polyanskiy, the ambassadors of Iran, China and Russia to the United Nations, wrote a joint letter on October 18 for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN Security Council Vassily A. Nebenzia.

What follows is the text of their letter:

Excellency,

We have the honour to refer to the joint letter by the Foreign Ministers of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation dated 28 August 2025 and circulated in the Security Council (S/2025/546) and the General Assembly (A/79/1004), in which they set out the common position of our States regarding the recent actions by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) allegedly undertaken in the context of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015).

We reaffirm that the attempt by E3 to trigger the so-called "snapback" is, by default, legally and procedurally flawed. The E3, having themselves ceased to perform their commitments under both the JCPOA and resolution 2231 and also failing to exhaust the procedures of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM). lacks the standing to invoke its provisions.

Against this backdrop, we affirm that in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of resolution 2231, all its provisions are terminated after 18 October 2025. We reiterate that the full and timely conclusion of resolution 2231 marks the end of the Security Council's consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue and contributes to strengthening the authority of the Council and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy.

We emphasize that it is essential that the relevant parties stay committed to finding a political settlement that accommodates the concerns of all parties through diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, and refrain from unilateral sanction, threat of force, or any other action that may escalate the situation, and that all countries should contribute to creating a favorable atmosphere and conditions for diplomatic efforts.

We would appreciate it if the present letter could be circulated as an official document of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration./tasnim