Russia has declared it will block any attempt to resurrect United Nations Security Council sanctions mechanisms against Iran, saying Western efforts to reinstate punitive measures lack legal basis and contradict the council’s earlier decisions.
Russia blocks Iran sanctions at UN
Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Dmitry Poliansky told TASS on 31 December that Moscow and its partners regard the sanction snapback mechanism related to Iran’s nuclear programme as no longer available to the so‑called euro trio of Britain, Germany and France. He said that, in Russia’s view, UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adopted in 2015, effectively ended the prior regime and that the resolution ceased to apply for Moscow and its allies on 18 September 2025.
“Accordingly, for us and our like‑minded partners this resolution ceased to operate on 18 September 2025. Therefore, of course, we will obstruct any attempts to recreate in the Security Council the previous sanctions mechanisms against Iran that were ‘reset’ by resolution 2231 in 2015,” Poliansky said.
Poliansky accused the euro trio of attempting to construct a parallel reality that runs counter to international law. His comments follow a series of diplomatic exchanges in recent months in which Russian and Iranian officials have protested Western initiatives at the UN, arguing that attempts to revive or extend punitive measures are politically motivated.
The Russian statement comes as the United States announced new sanctions related to nuclear non‑proliferation. On 30 December the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added three Iranian organisations to its Specially Designated Nationals list, along with five Iranian individuals and a Venezuelan national. Those unilateral US measures operate outside the UN framework but underscore the widening gap between Washington’s approach and positions taken by Moscow and some other states.
In November, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to discuss what they portrayed as coordinated actions by France, Britain and Germany against Iran within UN structures. Both ministers warned that Western states were trying to launch an anti‑Iran campaign at the United Nations.
Moscow’s stance has implications for the diplomatic handling of Iran’s nuclear dossier and for the broader balance of power at the Security Council. If Russia follows through on its pledge to veto or otherwise block proposals to recreate sanction mechanisms, Western states would face a significant obstacle to multilateral measures at the UN and might increasingly rely on unilateral or coalition‑based tools, such as additional OFAC listings or targeted sanctions by individual governments.
Analysts say the dispute highlights two parallel trends: the fragmentation of global responses to Iran and the continued use of legal and procedural arguments by major powers to protect strategic partners. For Iran, Russian support at the Security Council strengthens its diplomatic shield and complicates efforts by Western powers to secure a united UN response.
Diplomats expect continued consultations in New York as states seek to reconcile competing interpretations of past Security Council decisions. For now, Moscow’s declared readiness to block attempts to reimpose UN sanctions signals a diplomatic victory for Tehran and a demonstration of Russia’s willingness to defend partners within multilateral fora.
Image credit: Izvestia
Key Takeaways:
- Russia has pledged to prevent the restoration of UN Security Council sanctions mechanisms against Iran.
- Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Poliansky argued the EU trio no longer have the right to invoke the snapback mechanism.
- Russia and its allies consider UN resolution 2231 to have nullified earlier sanctions, and will oppose efforts to recreate them.
- The US has separately issued new OFAC sanctions, underscoring growing divergence in international approaches to Iran.
