Date: 26 September 2025
Category: Peace and Security
- What happened:
A draft resolution by China and Russia to extend sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) failed in the UN Security Council. - Voting results:
- 4 in favor
- 9 against
- 2 abstentions
- What the draft sought:
- Extend JCPOA and UN resolution 2231 (2015) by six months (until April 2026).
- Encourage engagement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- Outcome:
The failure triggers the “snapback mechanism” → sanctions that had been lifted will now be re-imposed starting Saturday evening. - European position:
France, Germany, and the UK earlier notified the Council of Iran’s “significant non-performance”, citing violations. - Statements from key members:
- China: Deep regret, warned that collapse of the nuclear issue risks a new regional security crisis.
- UK (Barbara Woodward): Voted no, citing Iran’s defiance of the global non-proliferation regime and accumulation of highly enriched uranium without civilian justification.
- US (Dorothy Shea): Welcomed rejection, calling the draft a “hollow effort” by Russia and China to shield Iran from accountability.
- Russia (Dmitry Polyanskiy): Criticized opposing nations, saying their assurances of pursuing diplomacy were just “mere noise.”
The rejection underscores widening rifts in the Council over how to handle Iran’s nuclear programme and risks further escalation in the Middle East
