US Accuses Russia and China of Shielding Iran at UN: Blocking Sanctions Body
Diplomatic tension at UN headquarters has intensified. The US representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, has accused Russia and China of deliberately obstructing the UN body tasked with monitoring sanctions against Iran in order to shield Tehran from international oversight.
At the mandatory meeting of Sanctions Committee 1737 in the UN Security Council on Thursday, 12 March 2026, Waltz delivered sharp criticism of Moscow and Beijing’s stance. He assessed that both nations were actively attempting to disable the monitoring mechanism in the interests of their partner, Iran.
“The reality is that Russia and China do not want this committee because it will continue to protect their partner, Iran,” Waltz stated firmly before the Security Council members.
The Security Council session opened with high tension when Russia’s UN representative, Vassily Nebenzia, urged a procedural vote to reject the meeting. Russia argued that the snapback mechanism activated by the E3 (United Kingdom, France, and Germany) was not legally valid.
Nebenzia highlighted the US decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 as the root of the problem. According to him, the US had no legal basis to demand the restoration of anti-Iran sanctions.
China’s representative, Fu Cong, expressed support for Russia’s motion, calling the E3’s activation of sanctions procedurally flawed. Rather than discussing sanctions, China instead highlighted the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East.
“The United States and Israel must immediately cease their military operations, refrain from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision, and avoid further escalation of tensions,” Fu Cong stated.
Fu also urged the Security Council to help the parties build trust and stop manipulating the international body for the political purposes of certain nations.
In response to Russia and China’s defence, Mike Waltz rejected their arguments, calling them a dishonest reinterpretation of events. The US claimed to have evidence that Russia and China maintained clear military trade relations with Iran that violated UN resolutions.
“The United States will continue to work to ensure that Iran can no longer hold the world hostage with its missile programme, drone programme, and of course its nuclear programme,” Waltz concluded.
As of the time this report was filed, the situation in the Security Council remained deadlocked without agreement on reactivating the full functions of Committee 1737, reflecting a deep division among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.