UN Security Council rejects Russian-Chinese bid to delay Iran sanctions

The UN Security Council has started a meeting to vote on a resolution drafted by Russia and China aimed at delaying the snapback of UN sanctions on Iran.

Russia's representative at the meeting said Moscow "had hoped that the US, that European colleagues in the US, would think twice and that they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialog instead of their clumsy blackmail, which merely results in escalation of the situation in the region."

However, the envoy said, "what did we see instead, in the 29 days that have elapsed since then, was the very same typical scenario for Europeans of pressure."

The Russian envoy said that "if the UK and France were genuinely willing to meet their obligations, fulfill their promises and to reject the snapback given the constructive approach of Iran, then the vote on the Russian-Chinese draft gives them the last opportunity to demonstrate that they indeed take responsibility for their words."

The Chinese envoy said his country along with Russia "tabled this draft resolution on a six-month technical extension to Resolution 2231 encouraging Iran to further its engagement with the IAEA and urging the original signatories of the JCPOA to immediately restart negotiations."

"The draft resolution is not about picking sides between Iran and E3; it aims to get more time for diplomatic efforts and create conditions for a political solution," the envoy said.

"China calls on all Council members to vote in favor of the draft resolution... Let's work together to bring the Iranian nuclear issue back on the right track for political and diplomatic settlement."

A senior Iranian lawmaker on Friday rejected media reports about planned UN inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them “sheer lies” and merely the fantasies of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

“I spoke with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and they confirmed there is no plan for IAEA inspections,” said Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

"The presence of IAEA inspectors in Fordow and Natanz is a media lie and Rafael Grossi’s fantasy, because he wants to carry out the Americans’ mission and find out what is happening at our nuclear sites."

"We're not afraid of war. We do not seek war. President Trump has said that his administration has come to create peace, but the path that they have embarked upon will set fire to the entire region," Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News.

"We have never been starting any wars, but whomever attacks us, we will do our utmost to give them the strongest answer. We will see certainly augmenting capabilities on a daily basis so as to prevent anyone from attacking us," he added.

European powers "offered a lot of opportunities to come to a new negotiated solution, but they (Iran) didn’t use that space,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Bloomberg TV.

“The sanctions will be imposed," he was quoted as saying.

However, he added, there would always be space for diplomacy.

The resolution drafted by Russia and China to delay the snapback of Iran sanctions will not succeed today, according to parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee chairman Ebrahim Azizi, who said he learned this after a phone call with Foreign Minister Araghchi.