UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council rejected a resolution sponsored by China and Russia seeking to extend sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal for an additional six months.
The 15-member Council voted four in favor – Algeria, China, Pakistan, and Russia – nine against, including Denmark, France, Greece, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with two abstentions from Guyana and South Korea. A minimum of nine affirmative votes is required for adoption.
With the resolution’s defeat, sanctions previously lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be reinstated starting Saturday evening.
The vote follows recent notifications from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – three of the JCPOA’s European signatories – reporting Iran’s “significant non-performance” and breaches of the agreement, which triggered the so-called “snapback mechanism” to reimpose sanctions.
China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Geng Shuang, expressed deep disappointment, warning that failure to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue risks triggering a new regional security crisis detrimental to the international community’s interests.
In contrast, US Deputy Representative Dorothy Shea praised the Council’s rejection, dismissing the resolution as a “last-ditch effort by Russia and China to shield Iran from accountability” for its ongoing violations.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy criticized the opposing countries, asserting their diplomatic assurances on Iran were “mere noise.”
Pakistan’s delegate Umer Siddique, who voted in favor, stressed the necessity of buying more time through a technical extension of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). He cautioned that sanctions would only deepen tensions and harm ordinary Iranians.
“Disputes arising from the JCPOA’s implementation must be resolved cooperatively and without resorting to extreme measures,” Siddique said, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to diplomacy and conflict avoidance.
As renewed sanctions take effect, the failure to extend relief marks a setback in efforts to stabilize the Iranian nuclear issue and regional security.
