Iran has formally declared the death of the 2015 nuclear deal, announcing Saturday that it is no longer bound by any of the agreement’s restrictions on uranium enrichment, weapons development, or nuclear oversight.
“All of the [2015 deal] provisions… are considered terminated,” the Iranian foreign ministry stated, as reported by AFP.
With that sentence, the final threads of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—once heralded as a diplomatic triumph—have been cut by the regime that never intended to abide by them in the first place.
The announcement follows months of rising escalation, culminating in a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, during which Israeli and US forces launched coordinated strikes on nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The campaign also targeted top nuclear scientists.
Iran has since refused cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and in late September, Britain, France, and Germany triggered the “snapback” sanctions mechanism—restoring sweeping international sanctions on Iran’s weapons programs and financial networks.
The timing of Iran’s exit is both symbolic and strategic: The original deal, signed in July 2015, was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear breakout window to at least one year. That cap has now fully lapsed, and Tehran has made clear it intends to chart its own path—without inspectors, restrictions, or negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that point last week: “We do not see any reason to negotiate,” he said, blaming Europe for restoring sanctions after years of Iranian violations.
Before the June war, the IAEA publicly declared that Iran was no longer in compliance with its nonproliferation obligations—the first such finding in nearly 20 years. That revelation, combined with Iran’s enrichment activity and military escalation across the region, removed any lingering illusions about Tehran’s intent.
Analysis: The JCPOA is not just expired. It is obsolete. For a decade, world powers chased a phantom agreement with a regime committed to deception. Iran exploited the deal to build missile capabilities, fund proxy wars, and edge closer to nuclear weapons—while the West extended diplomatic lifelines.
Now, with sanctions back in force and the nuclear constraints gone, the regime has dropped the mask. It does not want peace. It wants leverage. And in the absence of real accountability, Iran’s race to the bomb is no longer theoretical—it is operational.
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