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An major international deal created to curb the spread of nuclear arms has officially ended, with Tehran declaring the conclusion of the 10-year-old accord.

Historic Deal Officially Ended

The Iranian government declared on the weekend that it was no longer bound by the 2015-era agreement, formally referred to as the JCPOA, under which global sanctions were removed in exchange for limitations on Iran's nuclear programme.

From now on “every one of the terms [of the 2015-era agreement], encompassing the restrictions on the Iran's atomic program and the related mechanisms are deemed terminated”, the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs announced in a statement.

Nonetheless, it noted that the nation “firmly states its commitment to diplomatic efforts”.

Background of the Deal

Agreed upon in Vienna by Iran, Beijing, Britain, France, Germany, Moscow and the United States, the agreement aimed to resolve the years-long political dispute and signify the start of a new era in ties between Tehran and the west.

Although the deal officially expires on the weekend, it has been in chaos for years.

Key Developments Leading to the End

• In 2018, in his first term, Donald Trump angered his European allies by independently withdrawing the United States from the deal and reimposing restrictions.
• As a result of the American exit, Iran began increasing its nuclear activities.
• European-led negotiations to resurrect the agreement have collapsed, and this summer’s bombing raids on Iran by Tel Aviv and the United States left prospects for a renewal at a record low point.

Latest Events

Following the two-week conflict in June, the Iranian legislature approved a law to refuse to work with the UN nuclear watchdog, the UN’s atomic inspectorate.

That led to participants Britain, Berlin and France triggering the known as “automatic reinstatement” process, resulting in the reinstatement of the UN sanctions.

These automatic sanctions in practice made a formality of “termination day”, which was scheduled for October 18, precisely a decade after the approval of Resolution 2231.

International Reactions

Last month, when the automatic sanctions were implemented, the British, French and Berlin foreign ministers stated in a joint statement they would persist to pursue “a fresh political solution to ensure Tehran does not acquires a nuclear bomb”.

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, remarked the sanctions “cannot be the conclusion of negotiations” and that “a lasting resolution to the Iranian nuclear problem can solely be achieved through negotiations”.

Prospective Prospects

On Monday, Trump stated that he wanted a peace agreement with Iran, while Iran has repeatedly said it is open to diplomacy with the US, on condition that the US government provides guarantees against military action during any potential talks.

The 3 EU nations also recently declared they would seek to resume talks to reach a “comprehensive, long-lasting and confirmable deal”.

Still, relations between the west and Iran remain tense. The US had previously imposed large sanctions, encompassing trying to compel every countries to shun Iran's oil. Several rounds of Omani-brokered discussions in recent months between Tehran and Washington did not succeed to reach an accord.

Iran’s top diplomat, the deputy foreign minister, stated recently that Iran did “perceive no any reason to engage in talks” with EU powers, considering that they activated the automatic reinstatement mechanism.

Persistent Accusations

European and American authorities and Tel Aviv have for years alleged Iran of attempting to obtain nuclear weapons, a allegation Iran denies, claiming its programme is energy and for peaceful purposes.

Tehran is expected to observe termination day with a statement later on on the weekend at the United Nations in New York.