Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and the European troika of undermining diplomacy during a session of the UN Security Council on Friday, following the rejection of a Russian-Chinese resolution aimed at delaying the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.

Araghchi said Washington had “betrayed diplomacy” while the European powers had “buried it,” arguing that the Russian-Chinese draft resolution represented a responsible attempt to prevent escalation and leave space for negotiations.

“By rejecting the resolution, the United States and the European troika deepened divisions within the Council and wasted diplomatic opportunities,” Araghchi told the Council.

The Iranian foreign minister warned that any move to reimpose sanctions through an “illegal mechanism” would consequently undermine the credibility of the United Nations.

He concluded by holding the US and European powers responsible for the consequences of the decision, saying they had “paved the way for escalation.”

Regardless, he called on the US and E3 to "correct their course," and urged the UN Secretary-General to avoid any attempt to revive mechanisms related to sanctions within the Secretariat.

Earlier, a joint push by Russia and China to postpone the imposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran failed at the UN Security Council, with only four countries voting in favor of their draft resolution.

Nine members voted against, while two abstained. As a result, all UN sanctions on Iran are set to be reimposed at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, following unfounded claims by France, Germany, and Britain that Tehran violated the 2015 nuclear deal.

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