Russia and China attempt to block UN sanctions on Iran

Representatives from Russia and China tried to block discussion on the work of the committee that monitors compliance with sanctions against Iran, but their initiative was rejected by a majority vote.

Source: Reuters

Details: At a UN Security Council meeting, Moscow and Beijing attempted to halt the work of the so-called 1737 Committee, which was established to oversee compliance with sanctions on Tehran. Despite their efforts, 11 countries voted to continue the discussion, while two other members abstained.

Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN, emphasised that enforcing UN sanctions has a clear purpose – to eliminate the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programmes and Tehran's ongoing support for terrorism.

Quote from Waltz: "All member states of the United Nations ⁠should be implementing an arms embargo against Iran, banning the transfer and trade of missile technology, and freezing relevant financial ​assets. [...] Russia and China do not want a functional committee, not out of some type of legal objection, but because they want to protect their partner, Iran, and continue to maintain defence cooperation that is now once again prohibited."

Details: Waltz cited recent findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to the agency, Iran remains the only non-nuclear-weapon state to have produced and stockpiled uranium enriched up to 60% while denying IAEA inspectors access to these reserves.

In response, Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the US and its allies of stirring "hysteria" over alleged Iranian plans to develop nuclear weapons, claiming that such plans have never been confirmed by IAEA reports.

Fu Cong, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, called Washington the "instigator" of the Iranian nuclear crisis, arguing that the US resorted to the open use of force during negotiations, which allegedly undermined diplomatic efforts.

Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani later told journalists that the country's nuclear programme "has always been exclusively ​peaceful" and added that Tehran does not recognise any attempts to impose sanctions.

Meanwhile, the UK and France voiced support for reinstating sanctions. The French representative stated that the IAEA can no longer guarantee the peaceful nature of Iran's programme and that Tehran's nuclear stockpiles could be sufficient to produce 10 nuclear warheads.

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