The U.N. Security Council voted down a resolution to provide sanctions relief to Iran on Friday, moving significantly closer to imposing “snapback” penalties on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear efforts.
Under the terms of resolution 2231, which codified the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, nine council members had to affirmatively vote to lift sanctions on Iran after France, Germany and the United Kingdom notified the Security Council in August that they believed Iran was not complying with the deal.
Only four members of the council—Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia—backed Iran during the vote.
As a result, absent further action from the Security Council, U.N. nuclear sanctions on Iran will be reimposed on Sept. 27.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, welcomed the vote on Friday.
“Iran’s nuclear program is not intended for peaceful purposes,” he said. “A nuclear-armed Iran would mean that the most dangerous regime possesses the most dangerous weapon, dramatically undermining global stability and security. The international community’s goal must remain unchanged: to prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear capabilities.”
