Nitin Karani نیتین ڪاراني (He/They) 🇵🇸

Today at the UN Security Council, China's representative delivered a sharp rebuke of US and European policy toward Iran, declaring that Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA and subsequent maximum-pressure campaign were the "root cause" of the current nuclear crisis. He also stated that US-Israeli military strikes on Iran's IAEA-safeguarded nuclear facilities were the "direct cause" of the agency's inability to conduct inspections at those sites. Beijing further accused Britain, France, and Germany of failing to fulfill their own JCPOA commitments while joining Washington's sanctions campaign. The Chinese representative described the E3's attempted snapback last year as legally and procedurally flawed, arguing that it had undermined the Security Council's unity and credibility. The remarks came during today's Security Council meeting following the IAEA Board of Governors' September 9 vote to refer Iran's nuclear safeguards dossier to the Council, despite the US-Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Russia and China both opposed convening the meeting, arguing that the US and European governments were ignoring critical facts about the crisis, particularly the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the military attacks on Iran. The meeting nevertheless proceeded following a procedural vote of 11 in favor, 2 against (Russia and China), and 2 abstentions, with no veto applicable. China also warned against another round of US military strikes, expressed concern over repeated missed opportunities for diplomacy, and called for an end to the fighting and renewed negotiations. The central argument from Beijing: The US and European powers cannot disregard their own role in dismantling the nuclear agreement and attacking safeguarded facilities while demanding punitive international action over the resulting nuclear crisis.