Iran's nuclear agreement

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement aims to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful.

It lays down the timeline and arrangements for the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, in line with the EU's approach that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon and that it must comply with its legally binding nuclear safeguard obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Finalisation day

On 20 July 2015, the UN Security Council endorsed Iran's nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear programme (JCPOA), through Resolution 2231 (2015). On 31 July the Council of the EU adopted the legal acts transposing the first of those provisions into EU law.

In particular, those acts established that sanctions no longer apply to the provision of material, equipment or assistance relating to:

the modification of two cascades at the Fordow facility for stable isotope production
the modernisation of the Arak reactor
the export of Iran's enriched uranium in excess of 300 kilograms in return for natural uranium

They also provided for exemptions for activities and transfers:

necessary for the implementation of certain nuclear related actions specified in the JCPOA
necessary for preparing for the implementation of the JCPOA
determined by the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1737 (2006) to be consistent with the objectives of UNSCR 2231 (2015).

Those exemptions need to be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Adoption day

On 18 October 2015, 90 days after UN Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), the JCPOA came into effect. The JCPOA participants made the necessary arrangements and preparations for the implementation of their JCPOA commitments.

The EU adopted legal acts providing for the lifting of all nuclear-related economic and financial EU sanctions as specified in the JCPOA, taking effect as of implementation day, at the same time as the IAEA-verified implementation by Iran of agreed nuclear-related measures.

Implementation day

On 16 January 2016, once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had verified the implementation by Iran of the nuclear-related measures, most EU and UN sanctions were lifted. The EU lifted all nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions.

However, some restrictions remained in force, including restrictions on the transfer of proliferation-sensitive goods, the embargoes on arms and ballistic missiles and the restrictive measures against some of the persons and entities listed.

United States withdrawal

On 8 May 2018, the President of the United States announced the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA. Therefore, as of 9 May, the US ceased participating in any JCPOA-related activities or meetings.

On 21 December 2020, participants in the JCPOA acknowledged at ministerial level the prospect of the US returning to the JCPOA and underlined their readiness to make a joint effort to positively address this.

Joint ministerial statement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (European External Action Service)

Transition day

According to the JCPOA, eight years after adoption day, or upon the issuing of an IAEA report stating that the IAEA has reached the broader conclusion that all nuclear material in Iran continues to be used exclusively for peaceful activities, whichever is earlier, the EU will lift the proliferation related sanctions.

In view of Iran's non-compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, on 18 October 2023 (transition day of the agreement) the Council decided to maintain its sanctions against Iran.

The Council agreed to maintain the designations for individuals and entities involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities or affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Council also agreed to maintain sectoral and individual measures, under the EU's sanctions regime.

Termination day

According to the JCPOA, 10 years after adoption day (i.e. on 18 October 2025), all remaining UN and EU sanctions against Iran should have been terminated.

However, in view of Iran's non-compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, on 28 September 2025 the UN Security Council decided to reimpose all the sanctions that had been lifted in 2016. That reactivation concludes the snapback process initiated on 28 August 2025 by France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Following the UN decision, on 29 September 2025, the Council reimposed all the nuclear-related sanctions against Iran that had been lifted in 2016. The measures include both the UN sanctions automatically transposed into EU law and EU autonomous measures.

Sanctions imposed by the EU in view of the human rights situation in Iran, support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and other grounds are not part of the JCPOA, and remain in place.