Russia, China end mandate for independent monitoring of UN sanctions on Iran

Russia and China have ended a United Nations Security Council mandate for independent monitoring of international sanctions on Iran. The move revives their argument that all UN measures on Tehran were removed under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. According to Al-Monitor, all UN sanctions on Iran were reimposed a year ago after France, Britain and Germany accused Tehran of violating the nuclear pact.

The decision was made after Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of a panel of experts monitoring sanctions on Iran, as reported by The National UAE and The National Business. The resolution received 11 votes in favour, two abstentions, and two against. Russia's UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, argued that the draft resolution was "deeply flawed" and lacked a legal basis.

The vote exposed deep divisions on the 15-member council over whether sanctions imposed by the UN on Iran remain in force. Britain, France and Germany triggered the "snapback" mechanism in August last year, arguing that Iran had failed to meet its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, Russia and China have rejected the legal and procedural validity of the move.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, The National UAE, The National Business, Meduza (English), Daily Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.