Pakistan Abstains from UN Vote on Iran Sanctions Monitoring Panel
UNITED NATIONS, 18 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on extending the mandate of an independent panel monitoring sanctions on Iran, while Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution seeking to extend the panel’s mandate. Eleven Security Council members voted in favour of the resolution, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained. Addressing the council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve outstanding issues concerning Iran’s nuclear programme. He said growing regional tensions, strikes on nuclear facilities and differences among permanent members had made the issue increasingly difficult to address through dialogue. Ahmad reiterated Pakistan’s pos...





