On September 26th, a key vote of the United Nations Security Council attracted global attention.

The proposal by China and Russia to extend the period of exemption from Iran sanctions has not been passed, meaning the United Nations will officially resume its tough sanctions on Iran on September 30.

This decision not only puts Iran¡¯s nuclear program in trouble again, but also puts the Khamenei regime under unprecedented internal and external pressure.

The complex international gameplay and multilateralism behind the events are profoundly affecting the situation in the Middle East and global security.

In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the six major powers.

Under the agreement, Iran pledged to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions against it.

The United Nations subsequently adopted Resolution 2231 that provided legal guarantees for the agreement and established a ¡°rapid resumption of sanctions¡± mechanism: sanctions would automatically be resumed if Iran was found to fail to meet its obligations under the agreement.

However, the United States¡¯ unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear agreement in 2018 and the resumption of sanctions against Iran put the framework of the agreement at risk.

Despite the efforts of China, Russia and other countries to maintain the agreement, Iran subsequently gradually reduced its compliance and even expanded its uranium enrichment activities, causing widespread concern in the international community.

Recently, the three Anglo-German countries submitted to the Security Council a draft for the resumption of sanctions, saying Iran¡¯s actions violated the nuclear deal.

Meanwhile, China-Russia proposed a six-month extension of the immunity period in an attempt to make a compromise with the international community for Iran to struggle for more time.

However, in the vote of the Security Council, the Sino-Russian proposal was only supported by Pakistan and Algeria and failed to pass.

The resumption of sanctions will have a major impact on Iran¡¯s economy and politics.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Iran¡¯s inflation rate in 2023 has exceeded 50 percent and the unemployment rate is high.

The new round of sanctions will freeze some of Iran's assets overseas, prevent it from buying weapons and limit its ballistic missile program.

This will undoubtedly further weaken Iran¡¯s economic base and increase public dissatisfaction with the government.

The political stability of the Khamenei regime is also threatened.

In recent years, mass protests have erupted several times in Iran, with protesters growing dissatisfied with economic difficulties and government governance.

The resumption of sanctions could lead to wider social unrest.

Meanwhile, Iran¡¯s isolation from the international community will further deepen.

Although China and Russia have diplomatic support for Iran, they have also been forced to abide by the UN rules in the Security Council vote and have failed to provide substantial assistance to Iran.

The incident could also lead to a chain response to the security situation in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Israel have been very concerned about Iran¡¯s nuclear program, and after the resumption of sanctions, the two countries could take further action, including tightening surveillance of Iran¡¯s nuclear facilities, without even ruling out the possibility of a military strike.

This will make the situation in the Middle East more tense and pose a severe challenge to the global nuclear non-proliferation system.

For the international community, the resumption of U.N. sanctions is not only a halt to Iran¡¯s nuclear program, but also an important test for the global nuclear non-proliferation system.

China¡¯s failed proposal shows that the international community remains vastly divided on the Iran issue.

In the future, it is still unknown whether Iran will choose to compromise under heavy pressure and re-fulfill its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

For the Khamenei regime, how to survive under internal and external pressure will be the biggest challenge it faces.