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A major global agreement designed to prevent the spread of nuclear arms has officially concluded, with Tehran proclaiming the conclusion of the 10-year-old arrangement.

Historic Deal Formally Terminated

The Iranian government announced on Saturday that it was free from obligations by the 2015-era pact, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which global restrictions were removed in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program.

Moving forward “all of the stipulations [of the 2015-era deal], encompassing the limitations on the Iranian atomic programme and the associated processes are deemed terminated”, Iran’s foreign ministry announced in a statement.

Nonetheless, it clarified that the nation “firmly declares its commitment to diplomatic efforts”.

Background of the Agreement

Agreed upon in the Austrian capital by Tehran, Beijing, Britain, France, Berlin, Russia and the US, the agreement sought to resolve the long-standing political standoff and signify the start of a fresh chapter in ties between Iran and the Western nations.

While the agreement formally expires on the weekend, it has been in turmoil for a long time.

Major Events Preceding the End

• Back in 2018, in his initial presidency, President Trump angered his EU partners by independently withdrawing the United States out of the agreement and reinstating sanctions.
• As a result of the American withdrawal, Iran started increasing its nuclear activities.
• European-led negotiations to resurrect the pact have collapsed, and this summer’s airstrikes on Tehran by Tel Aviv and the United States left prospects for a revival at a historic low.

Recent Developments

After the two-week conflict in last June, the Iranian parliament approved a bill to decline to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s atomic inspectorate.

This resulted in participants the UK, Germany and Paris activating the known as “snapback” process, resulting in the reinstatement of the United Nations restrictions.

Those automatic measures in effect made a formality of “the end date”, which was scheduled for 18 October, exactly a decade after the approval of UN security council resolution 2231.

International Responses

Last month, when the automatic sanctions were implemented, the UK, Paris and Berlin top diplomats stated in a combined declaration they would persist to pursue “a fresh political resolution to guarantee Tehran does not gets a atomic bomb”.

The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the sanctions “cannot be the conclusion of diplomacy” and that “a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through talks”.

Future Prospects

Earlier this week, Trump expressed that he wanted a peace deal with Tehran, while Tehran has consistently affirmed it remains willing to negotiations with the United States, on condition that Washington provides assurances against armed conflict during any possible talks.

The 3 European powers also last week announced they would attempt to restart negotiations to reach a “comprehensive, durable and verifiable deal”.

However, ties between the west and Iran remain tense. Washington had already enforced large restrictions, including attempting to force all nations to shun Iran's crude oil. Several rounds of Omani-brokered talks in recent months between Tehran and Washington failed to achieve an accord.

The Iranian top diplomat, the deputy foreign minister, commented last week that Iran did “perceive no any reason to negotiate” with EU powers, given that they triggered the automatic reinstatement process.

Persistent Allegations

Western governments and Tel Aviv have for years accused Tehran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, a allegation Iran rejects, stating its program is power and for peaceful purposes.

Tehran is anticipated to mark the official end date with a statement later on on Saturday at the United Nations in NYC.