Iran has thanked Russia and China for vetoing a U.S.-backed resolution at the United Nations Security Council that sought to extend independent monitoring of international sanctions on Tehran, calling their move a defense of the UN Charter and opposition to what it described as politically motivated pressure.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Thursday it appreciated the “principled and decisive positions” taken by Moscow and Beijing after both countries blocked the U.S. draft resolution during a Security Council vote. Tehran said the veto prevented Washington and its allies from using the council to advance political objectives.
The resolution aimed to renew the mandate of a UN Panel of Experts responsible for monitoring compliance with sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program. The proposal received 11 votes in favor but failed after Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, exercised their veto power, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
Iran described the U.S. proposal as politically motivated and reiterated its position that Western countries are attempting to increase pressure on Tehran through international institutions. Russia and China argued that Western governments had politicized the Security Council and said disputes over Iran’s nuclear program should be resolved through diplomacy rather than additional sanctions mechanisms.
The vote highlighted continuing divisions within the Security Council over the status of UN sanctions on Iran. France, Britain and Germany triggered the “snapback” mechanism in 2025 after accusing Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear agreement, restoring previous UN sanctions. Iran, Russia and China reject the legality of that move, while Western governments maintain the sanctions remain in force.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Jennifer Locetta said the failure to renew the monitoring panel would create a gap in independent reporting on sanctions violations and benefit those seeking to evade international measures against Iran. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia dismissed the U.S. position and urged Western countries to return to political and diplomatic negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
The Security Council has operated without a functioning Panel of Experts on Iran for the past year because members were unable to reach consensus on appointments. Thursday’s veto formally ended the mandate for independent sanctions monitoring, although the broader dispute over the enforcement and legitimacy of UN sanctions on Iran remains unresolved.
