New Delhi: There appears to be no path to reconciliation between the US and Iran yet. Now, Russia and China have dealt a significant blow to the US on this issue. Both nations vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council that sought to extend the mandate of UN experts tasked with monitoring sanctions against Iran by another year. The US had spearheaded this resolution. During the vote, Russia and China opposed it, and the resolution was rejected by a margin of 11 to 2, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
However, the veto by Russia and China does not mean the sanctions currently imposed on Iran have ended. These sanctions remain in effect. They include the freezing of Iranian assets held abroad, bans on arms-related deals, and measures targeting activities linked to its ballistic missile program.
When were the sanctions imposed?
The sanctions were reimposed on September 27, 2025. France, Germany, and the UK invoked the “snapback” provision contained in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Subsequently, the Security Council’s sanctions committee was reactivated, and a panel of UN experts was authorised to monitor the sanctions.
The US had sought to extend the panel’s mandate, though the move faced questions regarding its legal basis. The US has criticised the decision made by Russia and China. Jennifer Locketa, the US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, stated that the expert panel could have exposed prohibited cooperation between Iran and its allies. She further noted that without the panel, independent and evidence-based reporting on sanctions violations would decline.
Iran welcomes Russia and China’s decision.
It is worth noting that Iran has welcomed the veto by Russia and China. Its UN mission thanked both countries, stating that they had thwarted the efforts of the US and its allies. France stated that enforcing sanctions on Iran is essential to ensure Tehran returns to compliance with its nuclear obligations. The option of establishing a separate monitoring mechanism in collaboration with France, Germany, the UK, and the US has also been proposed.
Amidst these developments, the widening rift between the US and the Russia-China bloc regarding the Iran issue within the Security Council is clearly evident. While sanctions remain in place, Russia and China have blocked efforts to create a new UN mechanism to monitor them. Tensions between Iran and the US remain high, with no apparent path to peace between the two; the US continues to target Iran with attacks.
