UN Security Council to vote resolution on Iran sanctions

The UN Security Council is due to vote Monday a draft resolution endorsing a deal reached on Iran’s nuclear program.

The vote is scheduled to be held at 9 am (1300GMT) Monday, council president New Zealand’s UN mission announced on Twitter on Thursday.

Opposition is considered unlikely, as the five council members that yield veto power were actively involved in the negotiations that led to the deal.

If adopted, the resolution aims to lift sanctions against Iran but will ensure that the measures immediately snap back should the country fail to comply with its commitments on its nuclear program.

A draft text of the resolution had been circulated to the council members Wednesday, according to US media.

The resolution will retain a UN arms embargo for five years and a ban on ballistic missiles for eight years.

Some restrictions on nuclear technology will also remain in place for a decade.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany – signed a final agreement in Vienna on Tuesday, bringing to a close nearly two years of contentious talks that focused on providing Tehran with sanctions relief in return for unprecedented curbs and inspections on its nuclear program.

Under the deal, major economic sanctions could be lifted later this year if Tehran complies with the principal requirements in the agreement.