Tehran: Iran, Russia, and China sent a joint letter today, Saturday, to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, demanding an end to the investigation and monitoring procedures related to the Iranian nuclear program and a halt to the issuance of periodic reports on this matter.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Iranian News Agency “ISNA” quoted Kadhem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, as saying on the “X” platform that “the permanent representatives of the three countries to the Agency signed this letter within the framework of the diplomatic efforts of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

This step comes after a previous letter sent by the three countries to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, in which they announced the expiration of Resolution 2231 concerning the nuclear agreement as of October 18th.

The letter affirmed that “the attempts by the three European countries (Britain, France, and Germany) to activate the snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions are considered illegal,” noting that “all provisions of Resolution 2231 expired on October 18th.”

It also stressed the necessity of “stopping the Director General’s reports on verification and monitoring related to Resolution 2231 and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).”

Gharibabadi explained that “the letter was based on the IAEA Board of Governors’ resolution issued on December 15, 2015, which stipulates that verification and monitoring operations in Iran continue for ten years or until the issuance of a comprehensive report from the Director General, whichever comes first.” The letter confirmed that “this item will be automatically removed from the agency’s agenda as of October 18, without the need for further procedures.”