News - Middle East: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called upon member countries of the United Nations Security Council to act responsibly as the council prepares to vote on a resolution that may postpone the reinstatement of UN sanctions on Tehran.

In a post on his X account on Friday, Araghchi said the UN Security Council will be voting on a draft resolution to extend Resolution 2231 later in the day.

The Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution proposed by Russia and China that aims to extend the existing diplomatic framework for resolving disputes related to the 2015 nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the deal.

'Say No to confrontation'

Araghchi described the final attempt as a “fleeting opportunity” for the Security Council to say 'No' to confrontation and 'Yes' to cooperation, providing time and space for diplomacy.

“Iran urges Council members to act responsibly and stand on the right side of history by supporting diplomacy, justice and international law,” the top Iranian diplomat added.

He noted that Iran has put forward multiple proposals in past days and weeks to “keep the window for diplomacy open” and explained that the E3 group of Britain, France and Germany has failed to reciprocate while the US has doubled down on its dictates.

“Might must never be right,” he emphasized.

Last month, the three European signatories to the US-abandoned JCPOA initiated a 30-day process to activate the so-called snapback mechanism in order to restore all Security Council’s sanctions against Iran.

Iran has rejected the move as illegitimate, citing the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and the European trio's decision to align with unlawful sanctions rather than fulfilling their JCPOA obligations.

On September 9, Iran, in a goodwill gesture, signed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to resume cooperation with the UN’s atomic watchdog.

Following the US withdrawal, the European signatories to the JCPOA failed to uphold their commitments and made no efforts to save the agreement.

Now, UN sanctions on Iran are due to be re-imposed at 0000 GMT on Saturday.

However, the Russia-China draft resolution seeks to delay the process by six months and calls on all initial parties to the JCPOA to "immediately resume negotiations."

In a September 22 interview with the PBS, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said Tehran will terminate its cooperation with the IAEA and cease participation in international weapons inspections if the ‘snapback’ mechanism is enforced and United Nations sanctions are re-imposed.

Press TV