Russia and China veto US resolution to extend Iran sanctions panel

Russia and China blocked a US-led resolution at the UN Security Council on September 17 that would have extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts overseeing Iran’s nuclear sanctions. The panel’s authorization expires on September 27, giving the international community roughly ten days to figure out how to monitor one of the world’s most consequential sanctions regimes with no one actually watching. The vetoed resolution aimed to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) attached to the 1737 Sanctions Committee, the body originally established in 2006 to keep tabs on sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program. Without an extension, the committee loses its investigative arm at a moment when tensions over Iran’s nuclear compliance are running hotter than they have in years. A committee that exists on paper only The 1737 Sanctions Committee has been in a state of functional paralysis for months. No chair has been appointed and no formal meetings have been convened since the committee was re-established, thanks to sustained opposition from Moscow and Beijing. That opposition traces back to a pivotal moment last summer. On August 28, 2025, the E3, meaning France, Germany, and the ...