On Thursday, Russia and China ended the independent monitoring mission of the United Nations Security Council on international sanctions against Iran, reviving their argument for the lifting of all sanctions under the nuclear agreement with world powers.
New Sanctions and a Return to the Past
All UN sanctions against Iran were reinstated a year ago after France, Britain, and Germany accused Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran has consistently claimed that it is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
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Meanwhile, the return of an independent group of experts to monitor and report to the 15-member Security Council on violations and propose further actions was anticipated. However, the Security Council has operated without this expert group for the past year, as it has been unable to reach an agreement on their appointment, which must be done by consensus.
Veto and Criticism of Western Actions
On Thursday, Russia and China vetoed a resolution that proposed extending the independent monitoring mission on sanctions. In the vote, eleven Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
Jennifer Lusten, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated after the vote: "Without an independent group of experts, this council loses its main source of impartial and evidence-based reporting on sanctions violations, creating a monitoring gap that only benefits the Iranian regime and those who profit from circumventing these sanctions."
The United States and Israel engaged in conflict with Iran seven months ago, claiming their goal was to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 during his first term, calling it "the worst deal in history."
On Thursday, Russia and China criticized their Western counterparts and called for an end to dangerous actions regarding Iran. Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's representative to the UN, said: "The only solution to the disputes and reduction of concerns... related to Iran's nuclear program is through political and diplomatic efforts."
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