New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- Germany's representative at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday did not co-sponsor, and did not vote for, the Western counter-resolution that France and the United Kingdom pushed to a floor vote on Iran's nuclear obligations. Germany abstained. France and Britain voted yes. The resolution was vetoed. But the abstention is the part that matters.

the three Europeans on the Council - began coordinating as a bloc on Iran policy in 2015. The vote did not pass. The headline of the session will be the veto. Germany's abstention is the footnote in the wire service coverage and the signal that Tehran, Moscow, and every European foreign ministry will spend the coming days decoding.

When Russia and China vetoed ...