Russia, China veto US resolution on Iran sanctions

Russia and China have vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution that would have extended for one year the mandate of the UN panel monitoring sanctions on Iran.

The vote came amid rising tensions over Iran, highlighting continued disagreements between Washington, Moscow and Beijing at the Security Council over how to deal with Iran and the sanctions imposed on it.

The sanctions regime, which remains in force, includes measures such as freezing Iranian assets abroad, restricting arms-related transactions and prohibiting activities linked to Iran’s ballistic missile programme.

The sanctions were reimposed in September 2025 after France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear agreement, restoring six earlier Security Council resolutions targeting Iran’s nuclear and military programmes.

Following the reimposition of the sanctions, the Security Council re-established an independent panel of experts to monitor and report on alleged violations and recommend possible further action.

Western powers had accused Iran of failing to comply with the 2015 nuclear agreement, while Tehran has denied seeking nuclear weapons or violating the deal.