Russia and China’s efforts to prevent the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran at the UN have been thwarted. The two countries put forth a draft resolution in the Security Council that sought to delay the re-imposition of sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program. This proposal was unsuccessful, garnering support from only four of the 15 council members. Nine members voted against it, and two abstained. The draft’s primary goal was to extend the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for six months, aligning with resolution 2231 (2015), which had endorsed the agreement. It also underscored the importance of ongoing collaboration between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The rejection of the resolution means that the path is now clear for sanctions against Iran to be re-imposed. France, Germany, and the UK have accused Iran of breaching the 2015 agreement, which aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The full scope of UN sanctions is scheduled to be reactivated on Saturday at 8 p.m. Iran has refuted these charges. A US official at the UN stated that the US welcomes the vote’s outcome. They also noted this doesn’t preclude diplomatic efforts to potentially lift sanctions in the future. The French ambassador to the UN indicated that the reinstatement of sanctions wouldn’t automatically end diplomatic efforts with Tehran. Nevertheless, the ambassador acknowledged that Iran hadn’t signaled any willingness to delay or postpone the steps being taken. Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s representative to the UN, remarked that the nations opposing the resolution had exposed their true intentions and that their previous diplomatic assertions were simply for show.
UN Security Council Rejects China and Russia’s Proposal on Iran, Sanctions to Resume
