US Says Russia, China Obstruct UN Sanctions Panel to 'Shield' Iran

March 13, 2026 | 11:42 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, on Thursday accused Russia and China of obstructing the UN body responsible for monitoring sanctions on Iran, alleging that the two countries are protecting Tehran from international scrutiny.

Waltz addressed the Security Council during a mandatory meeting of the UN Security Council’s 1737 Sanctions Committee, condemning what he called ‘the performative handwringing supposedly over process.’

“The reality is Russia and China do not want this committee because it will continue to protect their partner Iran,” Waltz said, as reported by Anadolu.

The 1737 Committee, established in December 2006, is required to report its activities to the Council every 90 days.

The session opened with Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, calling for a procedural vote to block the meeting. He argued that the E3 — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — have no authority to trigger the “snapback” mechanism and criticized the US for withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.

China’s UN envoy, Fu Cong, expressed support for the procedural motion, describing the E3’s snapback activation as “procedurally and legally flawed.”

On August 28, 2025, the E3 announced the activation of the snapback mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, citing Tehran’s alleged violations of the 2015 nuclear deal following the US’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018. Israel, the US, and several European countries have accused Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran maintains its program is strictly for peaceful civilian use, including electricity generation.

Waltz rejected these objections, calling the alleged “obstructionism” an “predicated on a bad faith and baseless reinterpretation of events.” He further accused Russia and China of maintaining military trade ties with Iran in violation of UN resolutions.

“In light of that, the United States will continue to work to ensure Iran can no longer hold the world hostage with its missile, drone and certainly not a nuclear program,” Waltz said.

Nebenzia, in turn, accused the US — currently holding the presidency of the Security Council — of “legal violations,” arguing that Russia sees no reason to reinstate the 1737 Committee.

“We deeply regret that Western delegations are insisting on trying to legalize their claims,” he said, adding that Russia and China have “done everything possible” to avoid complex legal and procedural situations amid disputes over the snapback mechanism.

Fu Cong declined to comment on the 1737 Committee specifically. However, he urged the United States and Israel to halt military operations, refrain from targeting Iranian nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision, avoid further escalating tensions, and prevent the conflict from spreading across the Middle East.

He also called on the Security Council to help parties build trust and bridge differences and urged “a certain country” to stop manipulating the Council for political purposes.

Read: Iran Claims US Refueling Jet Shot Down; Crew Lost in Iraq

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