Sep 17, 2026
Russia is using as many as 25,000 North Korean workers to assemble Iranian-designed drones for its war in Ukraine, with some disguised as students according to a UN sanctions watchdog. The practice violates 2017 UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Koreans from earning income in other countries.
The UN Security Council unanimously voted to extend the current arms embargo on Sudan's Darfur region for one month while negotiations continue on a contentious US proposal to expand the embargo nationwide. Sudan's UN ambassador argued that a total arms embargo would violate the UN Charter's guarantee of countries' right to self-defense.
US diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday after France publicly criticized America's human rights record under President Donald Trump. The dramatic protest followed tensions over Washington's vote against extending the mandate of UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
In a historic defeat, Germany failed to secure a temporary seat on the UN Security Council after losing to Austria and Portugal in a contested election. The UN General Assembly elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to two-year terms beginning January 1, 2027.
The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a UN Security Council resolution to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran reportedly did in response to a US-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Russia and China openly supported North Korea at a UN Security Council meeting on nonproliferation, with UN officials warning that DPRK's continued nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development remains a serious concern. Evidence shows vessels loading North Korean coal and iron ore at ports for export to destinations including China.
Russia and China vetoed a watered-down UN Security Council resolution that would have encouraged countries to coordinate defensive efforts on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The resolution had been repeatedly weakened in hopes of securing abstentions from the two countries.
Britain convened a virtual summit with over 40 countries to coordinate action on reopening the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's de facto blockade of the critical oil shipping lane. The UN Security Council is also preparing to vote on a resolution to protect commercial shipping through the strait.
The United Arab Emirates is willing to deploy troops and use force to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The UAE is lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution to authorize a multinational force to break Iran's chokehold on the strategic waterway.