Russia and China have vetoed a United States-backed resolution at the United Nations Security Council that sought to extend the mandate of experts monitoring sanctions against Iran.
The resolution was rejected on Thursday, September 17, 2026, despite receiving support from 11 of the council’s 15 members. Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
The proposed measure would have allowed independent UN experts to continue monitoring and reporting on possible violations of sanctions against Iran. The sanctions were reinstated in September 2025 after France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the “snapback” mechanism linked to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, urged Western countries to stop what he described as dangerous actions concerning Iran, warning that they could further complicate efforts to resolve the crisis in the Persian Gulf.
Iran welcomed the veto, thanking Russia and China for opposing what its UN mission described as a politically motivated US-backed resolution.
The United States, however, argued that ending independent monitoring would create a significant gap in reporting on sanctions violations and could benefit those seeking to evade the measures.
The vote comes amid growing tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and international sanctions. Earlier this week, Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, was prevented from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual conference in Vienna after a travel-ban waiver was rejected.
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