Russia’s UN envoy slams US and allies over “hysteria” on alleged plans
The US and its Western allies clashed with Russia and China on Thursday over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as Washington sought to justify its military action against Tehran at the United Nations two weeks ago.
During a session of the 15-member UN Security Council, chaired this month by the US, Russia and China attempted—but failed—to block a discussion on the committee responsible for overseeing and enforcing UN sanctions on Iran. Their motion was defeated 11-2, with two abstentions.
Speaking to the council, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz accused Moscow and Beijing of shielding Tehran by obstructing the work of the so-called 1737 Committee.
“All UN member states should enforce an arms embargo on Iran, ban the transfer and trade of missile technology, and freeze relevant financial assets,” Waltz said.
He added, “The UN measures being reinstated are not arbitrary; they are narrowly targeted to address threats from Iran’s nuclear, missile, and conventional arms programs, as well as its ongoing support for terrorism.”
Waltz further accused China and Russia of opposing a functional sanctions committee “because they want to protect their partner, Iran, and continue defense cooperation that is now once again prohibited.”
He also highlighted that last week, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Iran remains the only non-nuclear-weapon state to have produced uranium enriched up to 60 percent, while denying the IAEA access to this stockpile.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya countered, accusing the US and its allies of spreading “hysteria over supposed Iranian plans to acquire a nuclear weapon,” which he said were never substantiated by IAEA reports. “This was done to justify another military action against Tehran and escalate tensions in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.
China’s envoy, Fu Cong, called the US the “instigator” of the Iranian nuclear crisis, accusing Washington of using force against Iran during negotiations, effectively undermining diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters that Tehran’s nuclear program “has always been exclusively peaceful,” and warned it would not recognize any attempt to enforce sanctions.
US President Donald Trump has cited Iran’s nuclear program to defend his military strikes, claiming that Iran would have acquired a nuclear weapon within two weeks if US forces had not destroyed three key sites in June—a claim reportedly unsupported by US intelligence.
Meanwhile, Britain and France argued at the Security Council that reimposing sanctions was warranted due to Tehran’s failure to address concerns over its nuclear program. France emphasized that the IAEA could no longer guarantee the program’s peaceful nature and warned that Iran’s nuclear stockpile was sufficient for ten nuclear devices.
About the Author
