UN / RUSSIA CHINA IRAN

Russia and China introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution seeking to extend the timeline of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, a move that came hours after France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered a mechanism to reimpose international sanctions on Tehran. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:04:17
• Production Date: 28 August 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: DMITRY A. POLYANSKIY
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: SANCTIONS
• Geographic Subject: IRAN; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; CHINA
• MAMS Id: 3441455
• Parent Id: 3441455
• Alternate Title: unifeed250828d

Description

STORY: UN / RUSSIA CHINA IRAN
TRT: 04:17
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UN headquarters

28 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Russian Ambassador walks up to the stakeout dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmitry Polyanskiy, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“I want to make an important announcement. About an hour ago, Russia and China put into blue draft Security Council Resolution. It's very short, so I will read it aloud. I think you will bear with me. “The Security Council, recalling its resolution 2231 (2015), acknowledging the importance of finding a negotiated diplomatic solution to the issues related to resolution 2231 (2015), recognizing the necessity of allowing additional time for negotiations on this matter. Para one, decides to technically extend for six months, till 18 April 2026, the 10-year term after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) adoption day indicated in resolution 2231 (2015) and its annexes, with a possibility for a further extension. Para two, urges all initial participants of the JCPOA to immediately resume negotiations on the matters related to resolution 2231 and the JCPOA.”

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

4. Various shots, journalists taking notes

28 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmitry Polyanskiy, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“So, now the world is at a crossroads. It's quite clear: one option is peace, diplomacy, goodwill, normal human contact. Another option is kind of diplomacy at the barrel of the gun, hands extortion and blackmail, all other things. The second option is clearly represented by the action that was triggered today by France, UK and Germany. You all know that they circulated a letter triggering so-called Snapback. I will not explain you this procedure in detail. I think everybody who is knowledgeable of this fact doesn’t have such a necessity, but I will say that this move by European countries, in our view, has absolutely no legal bearing, because they were not implementing resolution 2231 in good faith. For example, they did nothing in terms of lifting sanctions against Iran during the so-called Transition Day two years ago. They are acting absolutely in breach of the JCPOA in each and every sense and letter and spirit of this document. They have not exhausted the mechanisms foreseen by the JCPOA, first and foremost the dispute resolution mechanism. So, we do not think that this move by these three countries should entail any action from the Council. This is our very strong and principled conviction. Of course, it will affect the overall climate over the issues related to the Iranian nuclear program. It will complicate international cooperation in this regard. So, we think that the option proposed by Russia and China today is a way that everybody should follow in order to avoid complications, in order to avoid problems, serious problems, for international peace and security, in order to give some chance and breathing space for diplomacy. So once again, we believe that the move by E3 cannot and should not entail any legal or procedural effect. It's a mere escalatory step. It's something that is absolutely showing that the Western countries do not know what diplomacy is about. They don’t care about diplomacy. They care only about blackmail and threats and coercion of independent countries.”
6. Wide shot, ambassador leaves the stakeout area

Storyline

Russia and China introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution seeking to extend the timeline of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, a move that came hours after France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered a mechanism to reimpose international sanctions on Tehran.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told reporters today (Aug 28) the resolution would “technically extend for six months, till 18 April 2026, the 10-year term after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) adoption day” under Security Council resolution 2231. It would also allow for a further extension and urge all original participants to resume negotiations.

“So, now the world is at a crossroads,” Polyanskiy said. “One option is peace, diplomacy, goodwill, normal human contact. Another option is kind of diplomacy at the barrel of the gun.”

The Russian envoy said the step to trigger the Snapback of UN sanctions on Iran by France, Germany and the UK (the E3) has “absolutely no legal bearing” because the three countries had not fully implemented their own commitments under the deal, including lifting sanctions during the “Transition Day” two years earlier.

“They are acting absolutely in breach of the JCPOA in each and every sense and letter and spirit of this document,” he said, adding that Russia and China’s proposal was intended to give “breathing space for diplomacy” and avoid “serious problems” for international peace and security.

The United States welcomed the move by the E3. In a statement, the State Department said the E3 had presented “a clear case of Iran’s continuing significant non-performance of its nuclear commitments, establishing a strong basis for initiating snapback.”

For this part, in a statement read by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General urged the JCPOA participants and the Security Council to continue negotiations to find a diplomatic solution that ensures the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme and brings about economic benefits to the people of Iran.

"In the next 30 days, there is a window of opportunity to avoid any further escalation and find a way forward that serves peace." The Secretary-General welcomed any efforts toward that end. He also underscored the imperative to exert all efforts to prevent a renewed military conflict and calls for prioritizing dialogue to address concerns related to Iran’s nuclear programme and broader regional security.