US Seeks New Independent Body to Monitor Iran Sanctions After UN Deadlock

The United States will push to establish an independent, multilateral body to monitor Iran sanctions, its envoy announced on Thursday, following moves by Russia and China to block the renewal of the UN panel of experts that previously tracked breaches.

“The United States will continue to advocate for a panel of experts while advancing an independent, multilateral panel to monitor and report on global compliance with the sanctions on Iran,” US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated at the UN General Assembly. “Blocking UN monitors must not block scrutiny.”

Mr Waltz accused Moscow of engaging in illicit arms transfers that independent experts would typically investigate. “We know that Iran exported arms and related materiel to Russia, Venezuela under the Maduro regime, and countries in Africa,” he said. “We also have information that Russia transferred fighter aircraft and armoured vehicles to Iran in late 2025.”

Disagreements persist over whether previous UN sanctions against Iran remain legally active. The US, Britain, France and Germany maintain that they triggered the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal last year, which automatically reinstated sanctions previously lifted by the agreement.

The Security Council initially established the 1737 Sanctions Committee in 2006 to oversee restrictions tied to Iran’s nuclear programme. That committee later became inactive following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, wherein Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Meanwhile, Russia and China reject the Western interpretation, arguing that European powers lacked the legal authority to trigger the snapback process, meaning the prior sanctions remain terminated.

An IAEA report in June noted that Iran remains the only non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty currently producing uranium enriched up to 60 per cent purity. Restrictions on IAEA inspections have increasingly hindered the UN nuclear watchdog's ability to assess Iran’s nuclear activities, with the agency acknowledging in July that it lost full monitoring capabilities.

Responding to these developments, Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya stated that Moscow will continue opposing Western efforts at the Security Council to reimpose sanctions via the snapback mechanism. Defending Russia’s veto of the US-drafted Security Council resolution to extend the sanctions panel's mandate, Mr Nebenzya criticized the initiative as an “unlawful and reckless course.”

“Only negotiations on an equal footing, taking into account the interests of all parties as well as Iran’s legitimate rights, can both dispel any suspicions regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and resolve the current deplorable situation in the Gulf region,” Mr Nebenzya concluded.