Russia vetoes UN draft resolution pressuring Iran over Yemen

Russia vetoed today a UN draft resolution presented by Britain that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen's Huthi rebels. The text, strongly supported by the United States, won 11 favourable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia's veto. 

China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure. Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members - Britain, France,



China, Russia and the United States - are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran. Britain had sought to include in its measure an expression of "particular concern" from the council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen.