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Iran Loses "Snap-Back" Vote in a Landslide
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - On Aug. 28 the European powers triggered the snap-back mechanism, starting a 30-day countdown to the reimposition of sanctions on Iran. As part of the countdown, a UN Security Council resolution had to be introduced proposing to save the sanctions relief. On Friday, the resolution failed in a 9-4 vote, with 2 abstentions. Only Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia voted to shield Iran from the sanctions. Iranian intransigence had antagonized the rest. Tehran now has only a week left to make real concessions before Sept. 28 arrives. So far it doesn't seem interested. Last week, Iran's regime asked the Europeans to cancel the snap-back in exchange for mere promises ahead of negotiations. Iran also sought a U.S. guarantee that it would be allowed to extract its remaining stockpile of highly enriched uranium from under the rubble of its nuclear facilities. At present Iran can't easily extract the highly enriched uranium without risking another U.S. or Israeli strike. Iran has cheated for years on its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty commitments and then lied, stonewalled and covered up evidence. Iran had time to negotiate and blew it off.