UN Security Council Rejects Iran Sanctions Relief Over Nuclear Program

Sanctions would freeze assets, impose arms restrictions, and curb missile development unless a last-minute deal is reached.

An Iranian flag flutters in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, on Aug. 21, 2010. Vahid Salemi/AP

The U.N. Security Council has voted against lifting sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, amid mounting pressure from European powers who say Tehran has failed to meet its nuclear commitments.

On Sept. 19, the council rejected a resolution put forward by South Korea, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body.

The measure was voted down by nine members.

Four countries, including China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria, backed the resolution.

The decision activates the “snapback” mechanism, under which all U.N. sanctions that were in place prior to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will automatically be reinstated on Sept. 27 unless a new agreement is reached.

The action plan was intended to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Restored sanctions would freeze Iranian assets abroad, impose an arms embargo, and restrict activities linked to ballistic missile development.

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the E3, along with China and Russia, are signatories to the JCPOA.

In recent months, the E3 and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, have engaged Tehran over concerns that it continues to expand its nuclear program in defiance of JCPOA provisions.