Intervention by the UN Security Council prevents the adoption of a China-Russia proposal for imposing sanctions on Iran

The draft proposed by China and Russia received a total of four votes in approval, nine votes against, and two abstentions.

The proposed text aimed to extend the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and Council resolution 2231(2015) until next April, while also encouraging ongoing dialogue between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Reinstation of Sanctions

As a result of the proposal’s rejection, sanctions that were previously lifted under the agreement will be reinstated starting this Saturday.

This development follows a notification from three European countries – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – who signed the agreement and reported Iran’s “significant non-performance” and violations, triggering the so-called “snapback mechanism” a month ago.

China’s representative expressed deep regret over the lack of resolution adoption and stressed the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability.

A breakdown in the Iranian nuclear issue could lead to a new regional security crisis, contrary to the common interests of the international community, according to him.

Ambassador Barbara Woodward from the UK explained their decision to vote no, citing Iran’s defiance of the global non-proliferation regime and the details of Iran’s nuclear escalation in over 60 IAEA reports over the past six years.

Due to Iran’s actions, the IAEA is unable to confirm that Iran’s nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, specifically mentioning the accumulation of a significant quantity of High Enriched Uranium without any plausible civilian justification.

US Deputy Representative Dorothy Shea welcomed the rejection of the proposal, labeling it “a last-ditch effort by the Russian Federation and China” and stating that it failed to hold Iran accountable for its significant violations of nuclear commitments.

Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy addressed nations that opposed the draft.

Now, there undoubtedly are no illusions left. These countries have clearly demonstrated that their assurances about prioritizing a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear programme issue over these years were nothing but mere lip service.