Iran Nuclear Achievements Protection Act

Iran Nuclear Achievements Protection Act
Islamic Consultative Assembly
Long title Government's Obligation to Protect the Nuclear Rights and Achievements of Iranian Nation Act
Citation	23669/549 (in Persian). August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015.
Territorial extent	Islamic Republic of Iran
Passed by	Guardian Council
Passed	23 June 2015
Enacted	24 June 2015
Signed by	President Hassan Rouhani
Signed	12 July 2015
Repealed	14 October 2015
Repeals
Iranian Government's Reciprocal and Proportional Action in Implementing the JCPOA Act
Summary
The bill intends to support preservation of Iran’s nuclear rights and achievements.
Keywords
Iran nuclear program
Status: Repealed

The Government's Obligation to Protect the Nuclear Rights and Achievements of Iranian Nation Act (Persian: قانون الزام دولت به حفظ دستاوردها و حقوق هسته‌ای ملت ایران) is a bill that was passed on 23 June 2015 by Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly to support Iran's nuclear program and put some constraints on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The bill passed in the Majlis by 213 to 10 (Yea and Nay) and 6 Abstains.

The implication of the Act is that the Majlis curtailed its own power to stand against the deal.

Content

The main requirements for the government include:

1. All Sanctions against Iran must be lifted on the day that Iran begins to implement its obligations.
2. The International Atomic Energy Agency is restricted to conventional inspections of Nuclear facilities in Iran and barred from seeing military bases, security sensitive sites, documents and scientists, and must comply with Supreme National Security Council policies.
3. No restrictions on Iran's acquisition of peaceful nuclear technology and know-how or research and development, and must be in compliance with Supreme National Security Council policies.

The bill has two amendments:

1. According to Articles 77 and 125 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, results of negotiations must be submitted to Majlis.
2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Supreme National Security Council must report implementation of the agreement every six months to Majlis.

The Law’s Relationship to the JCPOA and the UN Security Council

In 2015, at the same time as the enactment of this law in Iran, a very important international agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed between Iran and the P5+1 (the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany), which was approved under UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Under this resolution, Iran agreed to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium, limit the number of centrifuges and the level of enrichment, and accept regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. This mechanism was created in exchange for sanctions relief and also provided for a “snapback” mechanism that could be applied if Iran violated the agreement.

Domestic Reaction and Analysis

Some Iranian officials and experts stated at the time of the law’s passage that the law was intended to support the government in negotiations with the P5+1 group and to create pressure for the complete lifting of sanctions on the same day Iran began implementing its commitments—that is, the law explicitly called for sanctions to be lifted all at once and completely so that Iran could begin implementing its nuclear commitments.

Other items

International Legal Framework and Safeguards Agreements

In addition to Iran’s position and the law enacted, Security Council Resolution 2231 plays an important role in linking the JCPOA to international law and the Agency’s safeguards obligations. It not only endorsed the nuclear deal, but also set out in the international framework the legal mechanisms for the reimposition of sanctions in the event of a breach of the commitments—a point that helps to understand the real effects of domestic laws such as “protection of gains.”

Suspension of Cooperation

In July 2025, the Iranian parliament passed a law and the president signed it into law, suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and requiring any future inspections to be approved by the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. This law, independent of the Nuclear Achievements Protection Law, has important practical implications for international oversight and Iran’s relations with international institutions.

Activation of the “Snapback” Mechanism

The “snapback” mechanism, as provided for in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and parts of the JCPOA, allows the parties to the agreement to reinstate suspended sanctions without a vote in the Council if Iran is found to have committed “serious violations” of its commitments. From the perspective of international law, this mechanism is an effective tool for ensuring the implementation of commitments and is one of the key points in understanding the impact of domestic laws on international obligations.

Trigger Mechanism

According to legal analyses, activating the trigger mechanism would reinstate UN sanctions and formally place Iran under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, but this status in itself does not provide legal authorization for military action against Iran, as only a Security Council resolution can provide such authorization, and currently, the permanent members of the Security Council (e.g. Russia and China) would veto it.

Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy

In the country's official position, Iranian officials reiterated that Iran insists on the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and considers the activation of international pressure tools, including "snapback," to be without legal validity.

The Role of International Agreements

After the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the legal tensions surrounding its implementation, Iran abandoned most of its commitments and increased its uranium enrichment level and reserves far beyond the limits of the JCPOA, to the point that, according to reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran was not complying with the limits on its reserves and enrichment percentage and was not accepting full monitoring; this situation prompted Europe to implement the "Sanctions Return Mechanism".

End of the JCPOA and Its Consequences

On October 18, 2025, the Islamic Republic of Iran officially announced that it had terminated the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and considered all of its provisions, including restrictions on its nuclear program and related mechanisms, to be terminated. This official announcement represents a significant shift in Iran’s legal approach to the agreement and could have far-reaching consequences for international interactions and sanctions.

See also

• Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, passed by the United States Congress
• Majlis special commission for examining the JCPOA
• The law countering the hostile actions of the Zionist regime against peace and security
• List of extensive Iranian ground operations in the Iran-Iraq war