Torpedoing the Iran Deal Could End Up Sinking the Security Council

Torpedoing the Iran Deal Could End Up Sinking the Security Council
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents material he said shows Iran was dishonest about its nuclear ambitions, Tel Aviv, April 30, 2018 (AP photo by Sebastian Scheiner).

Can the United Nations Security Council survive the coming crisis over Iran as a semi-functional diplomatic body?

The council is already in rough shape. Debates over the Syrian war have deteriorated into a political farce. Trapped in a cycle of worsening distrust, the permanent members of the council are picking fights over what should be routine issues. Recent negotiations over the small U.N. missions in Haiti and Western Sahara became unexpectedly heated, as China and Russia accused the U.S. and its allies of trying to “railroad” resolutions through the council.

There is always a lot of bickering in New York. But diplomats fret that the Security Council is currently drifting toward a point where deal-making becomes impossible.

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