United Nations’ sanctions on Iran are set to be reimposed this weekend after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have extended the 2015 Iran nuclear deal for six months to allow time for diplomacy. The draft resolution, tabled by China and Russia, won four votes in favour and nine votes against, with two abstentions, failing to get the nine positive votes required for adoption. While Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia voted in favour of the draft resolution, Guyana and the Republic of Korea abstained. The remaining nine members of the Security Council voted against it.

If adopted, the draft resolution would have extended the nuclear deal between Iran and the six countries of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, as well as Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the deal, for six months, and would have prevented a snapback of UN sanctions against Iran. All UN sanctions on Iran are due to return this weekend after European countries, Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, triggered a 30-day process accusing Tehran of violating a 2015 deal meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons. After the voting, Britain’s envoy to the United Nations, Barbara Wood, said, This council fulfilled the necessary steps of the snapback process set out in resolution 2231, therefore UN sanctions targeting Iranian proliferation will be reimposed this weekend. The decision to restore sanctions by Western powers is likely to exacerbate tensions with Tehran, which has already warned that the action would be met with a harsh response and open the door to escalation.