UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Friday 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, received four votes in favor, nine votes against and two abstentions, falling short of the nine positive votes required for adoption.

If adopted, the draft resolution would have extended the nuclear deal between Iran and the six powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, as well as Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the deal, for six months. It would have also prevented a "snapback" of UN sanctions against Iran.

Friday's voting result was exactly the same on a draft resolution put forward by the Republic of Korea on Sept. 19 in its capacity as Security Council president for the month of September, which, if adopted, would continue to provide sanctions relief for Iran.

Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia voted in favor of Friday's draft resolution. Guyana and the Republic of Korea abstained. The remaining nine members of the Security Council voted against it.

Britain, France, and Germany -- the three European countries (E3) of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- claimed they have triggered the snapback mechanism on Aug. 28 by notifying the Security Council of Tehran's "significant non-performance."

Under Resolution 2231, the UN sanctions in place before the adoption of the resolution would resume 30 days after the notification, unless the Security Council adopts a resolution to decide otherwise. The Sept. 19 draft resolution to that effect failed.

However, the legality of the E3's move has been questioned as it has skipped the Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM). Under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, the DRM has 35 days to resolve the disagreement. A snapback can be triggered only after the DRM fails to resolve the issue.

Resolution 2231 expires on Oct. 18, after which time the Security Council would stop considering the Iran nuclear deal.

In an explanation of vote, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said China was deeply disappointed at the result of the vote.

China maintains that dialogue, negotiations and diplomatic means are the only viable options for resolving the Iran nuclear issue and that a political solution is the only correct path to safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East, he said.

"The current situation has reached a critical juncture. We call on all parties to exercise calm and restraint, continue dialogue and engagement, handle the current predicament prudently, and avoid escalating tensions," said Geng.

In his explanation of the vote, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said there has been no snapback of sanctions and there will be no snapback.

Both procedurally and politically, the outcome of Friday's vote means only one thing: since the Security Council did not adopt a resolution on the technical extension of Resolution 2231, it will cease to be in effect in accordance with the established timeline, which is the termination date of the JCPOA, namely Oct. 18, he said.

"After that, any restrictions and rules provided for therein, including those relating to Iran's nuclear program, will cease to be relevant," he said, adding that any attempts to resuscitate the anti-Iranian UN Security Council resolutions that were in effect until 2015 are null and void.

The UN Secretariat has no grounds to renew the relevant mandates, he said, warning that any attempts to do so would constitute a violation of Article 100 of the UN Charter and would compel Russia to seriously reconsider its relations with the Secretariat.

Russia and China have done everything possible to prevent a negative scenario with regard to the JCPOA and give diplomacy a chance, said Polyanskiy.

In his remarks to the Security Council, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said his country rejects any snapback of sanctions.

The E3's Aug. 28 communication to the Security Council president cannot, under any circumstances, be regarded as a valid notification under Resolution 2231, because the E3 breached their obligations under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, thereby losing any right to claim "significant non-performance" by Iran, he said.

"Attempts by Germany, France, the UK, and the U.S. to revive terminated sanctions are, therefore, null and void. Resolution 2231 must expire based on the timeframe agreed upon. All nuclear-related restrictions under Resolution 2231 will end permanently on Oct. 18, 2025," said Araghchi, adding that "Iran, along with many other countries, will not recognize any attempt to extend, revive or enforce them after that date."

He also called on the UN secretary-general to avoid any attempt to revive sanctions-related mechanisms within the UN Secretariat.

Speaking to reporters immediately after the Security Council vote, Araghchi said his country's cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be nullified if UN sanctions were reinstated.

"Well, we have already said that this act by the E3 and the decision by the Security Council would affect Iran's cooperation with the agency," said Araghchi.

Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement on a new framework for cooperation in the new circumstances on Sept. 9 in Cairo. "And it is very unfortunate that if everything is activated, then this agreement between Iran and the agency would also be gone and cannot be implemented," he added.

In his remarks to the Security Council, Araghchi said IAEA inspectors are in Iran doing their job.

Araghchi, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly high-level week, said he has put forward good proposals in talks with the E3 in the past days.

"Some of them are still under consideration. We have shown our good faith by presenting good, doable proposals, which could have resolved this problem without any need for tension or confrontation. I'm so sorry that my proposals have not been met in a positive way, and I hope that in the remaining hours (there) will be some chance for them," he said. ■