By Ella Rosenberg

The JCPOA’s expiration on Saturday officially marked the end of a unique, decade-long diplomatic framework meant to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

While Tehran celebrated the lifting of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and its associated restrictions, the real meaning of the sunset clause and the ultimate fate of the sanctions regime depend not only on a legal ruling but on the willingness of the powers to enforce the rules they themselves set and here lies the crucial difference: however strong the sanctions or the snapback mechanism may be, they are politically (and perhaps legally) worthless without enforcement by law-enforcement bodies and civil-society actors.

That is why a civilian task force on the issue is essential.

The agreement’s lapse carries immediate and long-term consequences for Iran. From the Iranian regulatory perspective, the expiration of Resolution 2231 means that the Iranian nuclear file has been officially removed from the Security Council’s agenda and the restrictions on uranium enrichment have been lifted. That allows Iran to declare that it is no longer bound by the agreement’s conditions and........

© LBC