UN Security Council Unanimously Approves Iran Nuclear Deal
Deal impossible without Security Council approval
The United Nations 15-member Security Council unanimously endorsed the Iran nuclear deal negotiated in Vienna last week, according to a tweet by the Associated Press. The Security Council includes 5 permanent, veto-wielding members, the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, and China, all of whom, along with Germany, were part of the negotiations. The other seats are rotating and include countries from around the world.
As I wrote last week, it doesn't really matter that the United Nations votes first on the deal. Congress gave itself sixty days to act—thirty if the deal came before July 10 but 60 after because of summer vacation. The deal couldn't be implemented if the Security Council hadn't approved it. If Congress rejects the deal and blocks the U.S. from implementing it, that will affect the U.S. portions of the deal but it won't bind other countries to not lift their sanctions against Iran. Surely opponents of the deal whining about the Security Council voting first understand they are lawmakers for the U.S., not the world.