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Members of the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of a sanctions resolution concerning Iran and the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York City on March 12, 2026. — Reuters
– The U.S. claims Russia and China are obstructing the sanctions committee’s work to shield Iran.
– China and Russia failed to prevent the Security Council from discussing the issue.
– The U.S. ambassador emphasizes that all nations should enforce an arms embargo against Iran, banning missile technology transfers and trade, and freezing financial assets related to Iran.
The United States and allies clashed with Russia and China during a Security Council session, with the U.S. seeking to justify its recent military action against Iran. The 15-member council, chaired this month by the U.S., saw Russia and China attempt—unsuccessfully—to block talks about a committee responsible for enforcing UN sanctions on Iran. The motion was rejected by an 11-2 vote, with two members abstaining.
U.S. UN envoy Mike Waltz accused Moscow and Beijing of trying to shield Tehran by disrupting efforts to activate the 1737 Committee, which oversees Iran sanctions. He stated, “Every UN member should be imposing an arms embargo on Iran—prohibiting missile tech transfers, trade, and freezing assets. These measures are narrowly focused on Iran’s nuclear, missile, and conventional arms programs, as well as its support for terrorism.”
Waltz further alleged that both China and Russia oppose a functioning sanctions body because they want to protect Iran and maintain defense collaborations now once again prohibited. He pointed out that last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) noted Iran was the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce and stockpile uranium enriched up to 60%, and Iran refused IAEA access to this uranium.
Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the U.S. and allies of fueling hysteria about Iran’s alleged plans to develop nuclear weapons, claims he said lacked corroboration from IAEA reports. Nebenzya argued that these claims are used to justify more military actions against Tehran and to escalate tensions across the Middle East.
China’s ambassador, Fu Cong, called Washington the “instigator” of the nuclear crisis, accusing it of resorting to force during negotiations, which he said has hampered diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, reiterated that Iran’s nuclear activities have always been peaceful and stated Iran will not acknowledge any sanctions enforcement efforts against it.
President Donald Trump has historically used Iran’s nuclear program as a justification for military interventions, claiming—without concrete intelligence support—that Iran could have developed a nuclear weapon within two weeks if the U.S. hadn’t targeted three nuclear sites in June.
Britain and France conveyed to the Security Council their belief that re-imposing sanctions on Iran is justified due to Tehran’s failure to address nuclear concerns. France also mentioned that the IAEA can no longer confirm Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful, noting that Iran’s stockpile could potentially produce 10 nuclear devices.
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