A structured record of how the Security Council has acted — or been prevented from acting — on conflicts, accountability, and nuclear diplomacy involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. US vetoes shielding Israel from accountability versus binding sanctions resolutions passed against Iran. Same council. Same rules. Opposite outcomes.
The veto was designed as a safeguard against great-power conflict. It has become a licence for great powers to commit, enable, and protect atrocities without consequence. The aggressor can veto its own condemnation. The arms supplier can veto sanctions on its client. This is not a flaw in the system. It is the system.— The World's Ledger · Analysis based on UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library veto dataset, 1946–2025
| Date | Resolution ref | Subject | Vetoed by | For | Against | Abs | What it would have done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon, early occupation & Palestinian rights (1972–1982) | |||||||
| Sep 1972 | S/10784 | Israeli attacks on Lebanon & Syria | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Condemned Israeli military attacks on Lebanon and called for ceasefire. First US veto cast in defence of Israel — only 2nd US veto ever. |
| Jul 1973 | S/10974 | Palestinian rights & Geneva Convention | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Affirmed Palestinian right to self-determination; called on Israel to abide by Fourth Geneva Convention in occupied territories. |
| Dec 1975 | S/11940 | Palestinian statehood & self-determination | USA | 9 | 1 | 3 | Recognised Palestinian people's right to self-determination and to establish an independent state. |
| Jun 1976 | S/12119 | Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories | USA | 10 | 1 | 4 | Required Israel to withdraw from all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. UK, Sweden, Italy abstained. |
| Apr 1980 | S/13911 | East Jerusalem settlements — illegal | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Declared Israeli settlement construction in East Jerusalem illegal and invalid under international law. 14 of 15 council members voted yes. |
| Apr 1982 | S/15018 | Al-Aqsa Mosque — Israeli soldier kills worshippers | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Condemned killing of Palestinian Muslim worshippers at Al-Aqsa by Israeli soldier; called on Israel to observe Fourth Geneva Convention. Co-sponsored by Iran, Morocco, Jordan, Uganda. |
| Jun 1982 | S/15255 | Israeli invasion of Lebanon — sanctions demand | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Called for sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Lebanon. 14 of 15 voted yes; US sole dissenter. |
| Jun 1982 | S/15347 | Beirut — halt advance, ceasefire | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Called on Israel to halt advance on Beirut; demanded unconditional ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. |
| Aug 1982 | S/15438 | West Beirut — Israeli military operations | USA | 11 | 1 | 3 | Demanded Israel halt military operations in West Beirut; condemned continued bombardment of civilian areas. |
| Sep 1982 | S/15468 | Sabra & Shatila massacre — condemnation | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Condemned massacre of Palestinian civilians at Sabra & Shatila refugee camps; demanded accountability. Kahan Commission later found Israel bore indirect responsibility. |
| Settlements, deportations & occupation (1983–2011) | |||||||
| Aug 1983 | S/15895 | Settlements — obstacle to peace | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Condemned Israeli settlement expansion in West Bank and Gaza Strip as illegal and an obstacle to peace. |
| Sep 1985 | S/17459 | Israeli air strike on PLO HQ, Tunis | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Condemned Israel's bombing of PLO headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia — a sovereign third country. 14 of 15 voted yes. |
| Feb 1986 | S/17796 | Al-Aqsa Mosque — Israeli violations | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Called on Israel to respect Muslim holy places and cease interference with Islamic institutions in occupied Jerusalem. |
| Jan 1988 | S/19466 | First Intifada — Palestinian civilian deaths | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Called on Israel to cease deportation of Palestinians and protect civilian population during first intifada; condemned killing of civilians. |
| Feb 1989 | S/20463 | Deportation of Palestinians — condemned | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Strongly deplored Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians from occupied territories; demanded immediate return. |
| Mar 1997 | S/1997/241 | East Jerusalem — Har Homa settlement | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Called on Israel to cease construction of the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem; all 14 other members voted yes. |
| Mar 2001 | S/2001/270 | Al-Aqsa Intifada — civilian protection | USA | 9 | 1 | 4 | Called on Israel to abide by Fourth Geneva Convention; condemn disproportionate use of force against Palestinian civilians during second intifada. |
| Dec 2001 | S/2001/1199 | Israeli incursions into Palestinian Authority | USA | 12 | 1 | 2 | Condemned Israeli military incursions into Palestinian Authority controlled areas; called for withdrawal and resumption of peace talks. |
| Dec 2002 | S/2002/1385 | Jenin & Israeli operations in Gaza | USA | 12 | 1 | 2 | Demanded Israel end military incursions and destruction of Palestinian infrastructure in the West Bank. |
| Oct 2003 | S/2003/980 | West Bank separation wall — illegal | USA | 10 | 1 | 4 | Declared Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank illegal; demanded construction cease. ICJ later issued an advisory opinion also declaring it illegal (Jul 2004). |
| Mar 2004 | S/2004/240 | Assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin | USA | 11 | 1 | 3 | Condemned Israel's targeted killing of Hamas spiritual leader; called on Israel to halt extrajudicial assassinations under international law. |
| Oct 2004 | S/2004/783 | Israeli military operation in Rafah, Gaza | USA | 11 | 1 | 3 | Demanded Israel halt military operation in southern Gaza; condemned demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah refugee camp. |
| Nov 2006 | S/2006/878 | Beit Hanoun massacre — 19 civilians killed | USA | 10 | 1 | 4 | Condemned Israeli artillery shelling of Beit Hanoun that killed 19 Palestinian civilians; called for independent international investigation. |
| Feb 2011 | S/2011/24 | West Bank settlements — halt all activity | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Reaffirmed all Israeli settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory is illegal; demanded immediate and complete halt. Obama administration vetoed despite agreeing settlements were illegal. |
| Jerusalem, Gaza wars, Palestinian statehood (2017–2025) | |||||||
| Dec 2017 | S/2017/1060 | Jerusalem — Trump recognition null and void | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Declared any action altering Jerusalem's legal status null and void; demanded all states comply with UNSC resolutions. 14 of 15 voted yes. |
| Jun 2018 | S/2018/516 | Gaza March of Return — lethal force on protesters | USA | 10 | 1 | 4 | Condemned Israel's use of lethal sniper fire against peaceful Palestinian protesters; at least 266 killed, ~30,000 injured during protests. US sole dissenter. |
| May 2021 | S/2021/459 | Gaza escalation — ceasefire, civilian protection | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Called for immediate ceasefire in Gaza; condemned Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure including destruction of Al-Jalaa media tower housing AP and Al Jazeera. |
| Apr 2024 | S/2024/312 | Palestinian full UN membership — blocked | USA | 12 | 1 | 2 | Would have recommended UN General Assembly admit the State of Palestine as a full UN member. US vetoed; Palestine remains a non-member observer state. |
| 18 Oct 2023 | S/2023/773 | Gaza — humanitarian pauses, evacuation order | USA | 12 | 1 | 2 | Called for humanitarian pauses and demanded Israel rescind evacuation order for northern Gaza's 1 million+ residents. |
| 8 Dec 2023 | S/2023/970 | Gaza — immediate humanitarian ceasefire | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | UAE-sponsored; demanded immediate humanitarian ceasefire, unconditional hostage release, unrestricted aid access. UK abstained. US alone vetoed. |
| 20 Feb 2024 | S/2024/173 | Gaza — immediate humanitarian ceasefire (Algeria) | USA | 13 | 1 | 1 | Algeria-sponsored; demanded immediate humanitarian ceasefire, unconditional hostage release, unhindered aid access. UK abstained. >28,000 Palestinians dead at point of veto. |
| 20 Nov 2024 | S/2024/835 | Gaza — immediate, unconditional, permanent ceasefire | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Demanded permanent ceasefire; lifting of all aid restrictions; release of all hostages. All 14 other members voted yes. US sole dissenter. |
| 4 Jun 2025 | S/2025/353 | Gaza — reinforce Res. 2735, permanent ceasefire | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Would have reinforced existing ceasefire framework; demanded permanent ceasefire and lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid. Famine officially declared in Gaza (Jul 2025). All 14 other members voted yes. |
| 18 Sep 2025 | S/2025/XXX | Gaza — ceasefire, famine, 65,000+ dead | USA | 14 | 1 | 0 | Called for immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, lifting of all aid restrictions. Cast at the Security Council's 10,000th meeting. 65,000+ Palestinians confirmed dead. All 14 other members voted yes. |
| Date | Resolution | Subject | Outcome | For | Against | Abs | Key provisions imposed on Iran |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2006 | Res. 1696 | Iran nuclear — suspend enrichment | PASSED | 14 | 1 | 0 | Demanded Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. Threatened further measures under Chapter VII. Qatar abstained. |
| Dec 2006 | Res. 1737 | Iran nuclear — first sanctions package | PASSED | 15 | 0 | 0 | Imposed ban on supply of nuclear/missile materials to Iran; froze assets of key individuals and entities. First sanctions under Chapter VII Article 41. Unanimously adopted. |
| Mar 2007 | Res. 1747 | Iran nuclear — arms embargo added | PASSED | 15 | 0 | 0 | Imposed comprehensive arms embargo on Iran; expanded asset freezes; required states to exercise restraint on financial dealings with Iranian entities. Unanimously adopted. |
| Mar 2008 | Res. 1803 | Iran nuclear — expanded monitoring | PASSED | 14 | 0 | 1 | Extended asset freezes; required states to monitor activities of Iranian banks, inspect Iranian cargo, restrict travel of sanctioned persons. Indonesia abstained. |
| Sep 2008 | Res. 1835 | Iran nuclear — reaffirmed previous resolutions | PASSED | 15 | 0 | 0 | Reaffirmed all four previous resolutions; reaffirmed Council's commitment to a negotiated solution. Only resolution of the seven not under Chapter VII. Unanimously adopted. |
| Jun 2010 | Res. 1929 | Iran nuclear — broadest sanctions package | PASSED | 12 | 2 | 1 | Most comprehensive round: banned Iran from ballistic missile activity; tightened arms embargo; froze IRGC and IRISL assets; prohibited new Iranian banks abroad; recommended inspection of Iranian ships and aircraft. Turkey and Brazil voted against; Lebanon abstained. |
| Jul 2015 | Res. 2231 | JCPOA — nuclear deal, sanctions lifted | PASSED | 15 | 0 | 0 | Endorsed JCPOA; terminated all six previous sanctions resolutions provided Iran remained compliant. IAEA certified Iran compliant. US unilaterally withdrew in May 2018 while Iran was still certified compliant; reimposed unilateral sanctions. Iran then began exceeding JCPOA limits. |
| Date | Event | Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1981 | Israel bombs Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor | ISRAEL | RES. PASSED | UNSC Res. 487 condemned the attack unanimously — including US vote in favour. However, no enforcement mechanism was attached and Israel faced no consequences. |
| 2002–2003 | US-led invasion of Iraq — no UNSC authorisation | USA | BYPASSED | US and UK withdrew draft resolution when France and Russia made clear they would veto it. War proceeded without UNSC authorisation. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called it illegal under the UN Charter (Sep 2004). |
| Sep 2007 | Israel bombs Syrian nuclear facility (Al-Kibar) | ISRAEL | NO RESOLUTION | No UNSC resolution was brought or passed. US supported Israel's right to act unilaterally. IAEA later confirmed the facility showed characteristics of a nuclear reactor. |
| May 2018 | US withdraws from JCPOA — Iran certified compliant | USA | NO RESOLUTION | US unilaterally withdrew from JCPOA while IAEA certified Iran was compliant with all terms. US reimposed sanctions. No UNSC action was possible as US would have vetoed any resolution blocking reimposition of unilateral sanctions. |
| Jan 2020 | US assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani (Iraq) | USA | NO RESOLUTION | Drone strike on Baghdad airport killed Iranian IRGC commander and Iraqi militia leader. Iraq's parliament voted to expel US forces. No UNSC binding resolution passed; US would have vetoed any condemnatory text. |
| Apr 2024 | Israel attacks Iranian consulate in Damascus | ISRAEL | NO RESOLUTION | Israel struck Iranian consular building in Syrian capital, killing IRGC commanders. Iran considers it its sovereign territory under Vienna Convention. No UNSC resolution condemning the strike passed; US indicated it would veto any such text. |
| Jun 2025 | US-Israel strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities | USAISRAEL | NO RESOLUTION | Joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. No binding UNSC resolution passed or attempted; US veto made any enforcement action impossible. IAEA reported it had no information on status of Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles by Oct 2025. |
| Date | Subject | Security Council (15) binding · veto applies |
For | Against | Abs | General Assembly (193) non-binding · no veto |
For | Against | Abs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | Gaza — humanitarian truce, protect civilians (ES-10/21) | US VETOED | 12 | 1 | 2 | PASSED | 121 | 14 | 44 |
| Dec 2023 | Gaza — immediate humanitarian ceasefire (ES-10/22) | US VETOED | 13 | 1 | 1 | PASSED | 153 | 10 | 23 |
| Dec 2024 | Gaza — immediate, unconditional, permanent ceasefire (ES-10/L.33) | US VETOED | 14 | 1 | 0 | PASSED | 158 | 9 | 13 |
| Dec 2017 | Jerusalem — Trump recognition declared null and void (ES-10/19) | US VETOED | 14 | 1 | 0 | PASSED | 128 | 9 | 35 |
| Feb 2011 | West Bank settlements — halt all activity immediately | US VETOED | 14 | 1 | 0 | not brought to UNGA | — | — | — |
| † In 2024 the US voted against 54% of contested UNGA resolutions — more than any member except Israel (57%). The average across all states was 8%. On six occasions the US voted in near-isolation, joined only by Israel. (Source: US State Dept., Voting Practices in the United Nations 2024) | |||||||||
The United States has cast 53+ vetoes specifically to block resolutions critical of Israel — more than half of all US vetoes ever cast. Between 1972 and 1997, the UK and France voted the same way as China and Russia on nearly 80% of Middle East resolutions — against the US. The US was routinely the sole dissenter, with 14 of 15 members voting in favour of accountability resolutions.
Iran faced seven binding Chapter VII resolutions imposing arms embargoes, asset freezes, travel bans, and financial restrictions. Israel, by contrast, has never faced a single binding enforcement resolution for its military operations or settlement activity, despite 53+ draft resolutions being blocked. Same council. Same legal framework. Structurally opposite outcomes.
When the US withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018, IAEA inspectors had repeatedly certified Iran was compliant with all terms. The US then reimposed unilateral sanctions and attempted in 2020 to trigger the JCPOA snapback mechanism despite no longer being a party to the agreement. Other UNSC members rejected the attempt as legally invalid.
Many resolutions on Israel are never formally tabled because sponsors know they will be blocked. The UNSC Security Council Report estimates numerous draft resolutions on Israeli settlements, military operations, and Palestinian rights have been abandoned before a vote due to the near-certain US veto. The documented list significantly understates the full blocking effect.