(Dreamstime)
Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution Thursday to extend U.N. monitoring of sanctions on Iran, leaving the 15-member U.N. Security Council divided over measures tied to Tehran’s nuclear program.
The vote came after the United States sought a one-year extension of the expert panel that reports possible sanctions violations to the council. The proposal received 11 votes in favor, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained. Vetoes from the two permanent members blocked adoption.
The dispute centers on whether U.N. sanctions against Iran were restored in 2025 through the “snapback” mechanism in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement between Iran and major powers.
Britain, France and Germany triggered the process, while Russia and China maintain that the sanctions expired with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the nuclear deal, in October 2025. The U.S. and European governments dispute that interpretation.
The panel was authorized to monitor implementation of the sanctions and report possible violations, but Reuters reported that it was never reconstituted because council members could not agree on appointments.
Jennifer Locetta, deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said the vetoes would leave a gap in independent reporting.
The Associated Press reported that Locetta said the experts “would have shined the light” on prohibited cooperation involving Iran and its partners.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzya, defended the veto, saying Moscow opposed efforts that it viewed as politicizing the council’s handling of Iran. Reuters reported that Nebenzya said Washington had chosen confrontation. China likewise called for diplomacy and argued that the council should not use sanctions to pressure Tehran.
The vote does not settle the underlying dispute over whether the sanctions remain legally in force.
The sanctions remain in effect, including measures involving asset freezes, arms restrictions and Iran’s ballistic missile program, according to the AP.
The U.N.’s mandate schedule lists the Iran expert panel’s mandate as ending Sept. 27.
The confrontation comes as President Donald Trump presses China over its economic relationship with Iran.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Sept. 24 in Washington, with the war in Iran among the issues expected to be discussed.
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