Russia and China halt US proposal on Iran sanctions at the UN

Russia and China have vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have authorized U.N. experts to keep monitoring sanctions that were reimposed against Iran over its nuclear program. The U.N. Security Council sanctions remain in effect after Thursday's vote. There was a “snapback” last year of the sanctions that freeze Iran’s assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The United States had drafted a resolution to extend the mandate of a U.N. expert panel monitoring the sanctions. But it was defeated. The U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N. said the experts “would have shined the light" on prohibited cooperation between Iran and its partners.

Read the original report at Apnews.