Iran announced on Saturday that it is no longer bound by the “restrictions” on its nuclear programme, as the landmark international agreement negotiated ten years ago has officially expired.
Signed in 2015 by Iran, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Russia and China, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions on Tehran.
According to several Western countries and Israel, Iran is continuing to develop nuclear weapons despite Tehran’s repeated denials.
“All the provisions [of the deal], including the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and related mechanisms, are considered terminated,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, as the agreement expired on 18 October.
The deal had set limits on uranium enrichment in Iran, monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, Tehran gradually increased its uranium enrichment levels in recent years to advance its nuclear activities in secret facilities.
