MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russia, Iran, and China are currently engaged in consultations in Moscow to consider possible scenarios following the expiration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which formally governs Iran's nuclear program, as well as Resolution 2231, which approved the plan.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that consultations between the three countries at the expert level would be held in Moscow on April 8.
"Various options and scenarios are being considered regarding what will occur after the current Security Council resolution expires on October 18 of this year," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has told the media.
He added that the sides will be closely watching what "will happen to the nuclear deal next in the face of the United States' current attempts at forceful resolution of the issue."
Iran’s nuclear issues
In 2015, Iran, along with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to resolve a crisis that began in 2002 due to Western accusations of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. However, in 2018, US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal from the JCPOA and reinstated all US sanctions against Iran.
In response, Iran announced in 2020 that it would reduce its commitments under the JCPOA and limit access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. Negotiations to restore the nuclear deal took place in Vienna from 2021 to 2022 but ended inconclusively. Upon returning to the White House in 2025, Trump signed an executive order to resume a policy of maximum pressure on Iran and threatened military action should Tehran refuse to agree to a new deal with Washington.
On March 7, Trump stated that he had sent a message to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks on the nuclear program. While Tehran rejected direct dialogue with the US, it indicated that discussions through mediators could be a possibility.
On March 30, Trump announced he would impose additional duties on Iran in two weeks if the nuclear talks failed, also threatening unprecedented bombing of Iran, if it completely rejected the deal. In response, Khamenei expressed skepticism about the likelihood of US military intervention but warned that any attempts by Washington to incite unrest in Iran would provoke a strong reaction.
On October 18, Western countries will have the option to activate the snapback mechanism, which allows for the automatic reinstatement of UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Iran has warned that, in such a scenario, it would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, despite Khamenei's 2003 decree that officially prohibits the development of nuclear weapons.