A crucial September vote could test whether the UN can preserve its Iran sanctions oversight as major powers sharpen their opposition.
France has announced that the UN Security Council will vote in September on extending the mandate of the group of experts monitoring compliance with sanctions against Iran. The decision is expected to trigger a new confrontation with Russia and China, which oppose the sanctions regime and the related oversight mechanisms.
According to Reuters
The mandate of the group assisting the UN sanctions committee on Iran expires on September 26. The vote will take place during the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly, where one of the key topics is likely to be the US-Israeli war against Iran.
France will hold the presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council in September. France’s permanent representative to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, said that Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s failure to fulfill its obligations to the UN would be at the center of discussions.
Ultimately, the Council will have to vote on extending the mandate of the group of experts on Iran. This issue was placed back on the agenda in September 2025, when, following Iran’s failure to fulfill its obligations under its nuclear program, we reinstated sanctions against the country.
– Jérôme Bonnafont
Diplomats estimate that the vote could take place on September 17. They believe Russia and China may exercise their veto power, insisting that the Security Council no longer has the authority to address Iran’s nuclear issue.
Russia and China oppose restoring sanctions mechanisms
In a joint statement issued in March, Moscow and Beijing said that the Security Council could not resume the work of the 1737 sanctions committee and its group of experts.
The committee was established in 2006 to monitor sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Unlike the group of experts, it does not have a limited term. The committee’s name comes from the number of the UN resolution – 1737 – that established it.
As of the time of publication, Russia’s and China’s representatives to the UN had not responded to requests for comment on their voting plans.
In 2024, Russia had already blocked the annual extension of the mandate of the group of experts monitoring compliance with UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.
How the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program began
The current conflict intensified after Britain, France, and Germany last year activated the mechanism for automatically reinstating UN sanctions. The decision restored restrictions that had been lifted under the UN-backed 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
The European countries concluded that Tehran was failing to comply with the provisions of the agreement, which were intended to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran denies having any intention of developing nuclear weapons. At the same time, its uranium-enrichment program has long concerned the United States and its allies. They believe Tehran may retain the ability to produce nuclear weapons in the future, since enriched uranium is used both to generate electricity and to create a nuclear warhead.
Thus, the September vote at the UN Security Council could become another test for the international sanctions system regarding Iran and demonstrate how deep the divisions remain between Western countries, Russia, and China.