Iran said it was no longer bound by any "restrictions" on its nuclear programme following the expiration of a 10-year nuclear deal with world powers on Monday, but reiterated it remained"committed to diplomacy".

Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the expiration date of the agreement, stating that from that day on,"all provisions of the (2015 agreement), including restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and related mechanisms, are considered terminated." The statement also said,"Iran firmly expresses its commitment to diplomacy."

However, experts point out that the agreement began to unravel years ago, and the United Nations reimposed extensive sanctions on Iran last month, effectively burying the agreement but also"creating space" for a new solution.

According to AFP, the so-called"Termination Day" is set for October 18, 2025, exactly 10 years after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, formally confirming the agreement.

The Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by Iran, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Under the agreement, the international community lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

However, the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during Trump's first term as president and restored sanctions, prompting Iran to accelerate its nuclear program.

However, negotiations to revive the agreement have so far failed. In August this year, the UK, Germany, and France activated the so-called"snapback mechanism" to impose UN sanctions on Iran, causing UN sanctions to re-enter into force.

Kelsey Davenport, an expert at the Arms Control Association, a US-based non-governmental organization, told AFP that the end date is effectively meaningless due to the activation of the snapback mechanism.

But Davenport also noted that the end of the 2015 agreement"creates space for exploring solutions to the Iranian nuclear crisis."