China and Russia Veto UN Oversight of Iran Sanctions

Russia and China overnight (between Thursday and Friday) vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have allowed council-appointed experts to monitor the sanctions reimposed on Iran. The U.S. proposal was therefore defeated.

The sanctions will remain in effect, but the lack of oversight will make it harder to track compliance. They include, among other measures, freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran, and imposing sanctions over any development of its ballistic missile program.

Following the Russian-Chinese veto, the Iranians issued a statement: "They prevented another cynical attempt by the United States and its allies to misuse the Security Council for their political purposes."

Before the veto, the American proposal to extend the mandate of the UN expert panel for an additional year was approved by a majority of 11 countries, opposed by Pakistan, Somalia, China, and Russia.

In the United States, it was reported that without the monitoring of the expert panel, it will be more difficult to obtain independent and reliable information about sanctions violations. The new situation will benefit Iran, as well as those helping it circumvent international restrictions.