UN Security Council Unanimously Approves Iran Deal

"The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the Iran nuclear deal and paving the way to lifting longstanding sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The 15-0 approval of the Iran nuclear deal clears one of the largest hurdles for the landmark pact, which will now go before the US Congress where it may face an uphill battle for confirmation...

Israel has opposed the terms of the deal.

Among those voting in favor at the Security Council was Jordan, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, putting a dent in Israel's claim that all the Sunni Arab states in the region oppose the deal as vociferously as Jerusalem.

A senior Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity dismissed Jordan's vote.

'The Arabs states talking to us send a clear message. Sometimes there's a difference between what it said at multilateral forums and what is said in closed rooms,' the official said...

Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Congress to keep US sanctions on Iran in place.

The UN Security Council vote is not 'the end of the story,' Netanyahu said. 'So long as US Congress sanctions are in place, and noting that the US economy is 40 times larger than Iran's, Iran will need to make concessions.'

Netanyahu slammed the Security Council vote as 'hypocrisy,' stressing that Tehran 'systematically violates UN resolutions and calls for the destruction of Israel - a member of the UN.'

The prime minister said many countries in the Middle East see 'eye-to-eye with Israel' on the nuclear deal. 'History has proven that even when the world is united, it is not necessarily right,' he said..."