Sweeping sanctions from the United Nations are expected to be reimposed on Iran despite efforts by China and Russia to postpone them for further discussions, diplomats report. European nations are urging Iran to reverse actions taken following airstrikes on its nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States in June. Expressing dissatisfaction with Iran’s non-compliance with a significant but stalled agreement, European countries have initiated the reinstatement of broad UN sanctions, particularly targeting its banking and oil industries, scheduled to come into force by the end of Saturday.
During a Security Council meeting, China and Russia presented a draft resolution seeking an extension of talks for six months until April 18, 2026, as per a document reviewed by AFP. However, diplomats anticipate that the resolution is unlikely to secure the necessary nine votes among the 15-member Security Council for approval. In another development, Iran and Russia have inked a contract worth $25 billion for the construction of nuclear power plants in Iran, as reported by state media.
State television announced the signing of a deal between Iran Hormoz company and Rosatom for the construction of four nuclear power plants valued at $25 billion in Sirik, Hormozgan. Presently, Iran only operates one nuclear power plant in Bushehr, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, which falls short of the country’s energy demands. Each of the new plants, as per the state news agency IRNA, will have a capacity of 1,255 megawatts, although specific timelines were not disclosed.