Russia and China Fail to Delay U.N. ‘Snapback’ Sanctions Against Iran Over Nuclear Program

In a significant development, Russia and China have failed to secure a delay in the implementation of United Nations 'snapback' sanctions against Iran, related to the country's nuclear program. The bid to postpone the sanctions for a period of six months was unsuccessful, paving the way for the sanctions to take effect early on Sunday.The snapback sanctions, which were first introduced under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, are designed to snap back into place in the event that Iran fails to meet its commitments under the agreement. The sanctions will impose significant restrictions on Iran's economy, including its oil exports and financial transactions.The move to delay the sanctions was put forward by Russia and China, but it was met with opposition from Western powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The opposition argued that Iran had failed to meet its commitments under the nuclear deal, and that the snapback sanctions were necessary to bring pressure to bear on the country to comply.The failure to secure a delay in the implementation of the sanctions is likely to have significant implications for Iran's economy, which has already been struggling under the weight of existing sanctions. The reimposition of the snapback sanctions will likely exacerbate the economic challenges facing the country, and could lead to increased tensions between Iran and Western powers.The development highlights the ongoing challenges facing efforts to revive the nuclear deal, which has been stalled since the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Despite efforts to revive the deal, the negotiations have been slow to make progress, and the reimposition of the snapback sanctions is likely to further complicate the situation.