The United Nations Security Council did not adopt a draft resolution on Friday to permanently lift sanctions on Iran, but Tehran and key European powers still have eight days to try and agree to a delay.
The UN Security Council voted on a draft resolution after Britain, France, and Germany initiated a 30-day process on 28 August to reimpose sanctions, accusing Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal.
Russia, China, Pakistan and Algeria voted in favor of the draft text on Friday. Nine members voted against and two abstained.
IRAN SAYS VOTE OUTCOME 'WEAKENS DIPLOMACY'
"The door for diplomacy is not closed, but it will be Iran, not adversaries, who decide with whom and on what basis to engage," Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters after the vote.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet with his European counterparts in New York next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he said, adding that Friday's divided vote showed there was "no consensus in the council".
"This decision weakens diplomacy and risks dangerous consequences for non-proliferation," Iravani said.
Britain, France, and Germany have proposed delaying sanctions for up to six months to facilitate talks on a long-term nuclear deal, contingent on Iran allowing UN inspectors, addressing uranium stock concerns, and engaging with the U.S.
"Without these most basic conditions being met, there is no clear path to a swift diplomatic solution," Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council.
U.S. REMAINS READY TO ENGAGE, ENVOY SAYS
Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea stated that the U.S. "no" vote doesn't hinder diplomacy, and that sanctions on Iran can be lifted later through negotiations.
"More importantly, President Trump has continued to reiterate the United States’ ongoing readiness for meaningful, direct, and timebound dialogue with Iran – be it prior to the conclusion of the snapback process on 27 September, or after," she told the council.
Meanwhile, Russia and China, allies of Iran, finalised a resolution to extend the 2015 deal for six months and call for immediate negotiations, but haven’t requested a vote. Both have rejected the European push to reimpose sanctions.
China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong warned that triggering snapback could derail diplomatic efforts and lead to unforeseen catastrophic consequences.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Georgia has secured two major financial commitments this week, with one aimed at easing road congestion around the capital and the other at strengthen...
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the sa...
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 30, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday, as water and power shortages left survivors exposed to extreme summer heat.
Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, calling the plan "a bad deal for football."
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of July, covering the latest developments.
At least 18 coal miners have been killed and 14 others remain trapped after a powerful methane gas explosion caused part of a mining complex to collapse in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment