UN Security Council votes against lifting Iran ‘snapback’ sanctions ahead of deadline

The Hills-Sept19th2025

by FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at halting the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program failed Friday after weeks of last-ditch diplomatic talks appeared to break down days before the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders.

The resolution put forth by South Korea, the current president of the 15-member council, did not garner the support of the nine countries required to halt the series of sanctions from taking effect at the end of the month, as outlined in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Only four countries — China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria — supported the effort, with some using the meeting to blast the European leaders for what they called an unjustified and illegal action against Iran.

“Their only goal now is to use the council as a tool for their bad faith play, as a lever to exert pressure on the state in favor of a state which is trying to defend its sovereign interests,” Vassily Alekseevich Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the U.N., said ahead of the vote.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom moved last month to trigger the “ snapback mechanism,” which automatically reimposes all U.N. sanctions that were in effect before the nuclear deal. Those penalties included a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes, travel bans and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.

The process is designed to be veto-proof unless the U.N.’s most powerful body agrees to stop it.

Over the last several weeks, intensified diplomacy between Iran and the European countries has taken place, but without a resolution so far and indications that sanctions were likely.

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