New Delhi, July 12 -- NEW YORK - When Pakistan's envoy raised an abstention at the United Nations Security Council on Friday, Iran's ambassador did not let the moment pass without notice. Amir Saeid Iravani turned toward Pakistan's delegation and publicly thanked Islamabad for "not supporting the convening of this meeting," a gesture carrying unmistakable diplomatic weight at a session Tehran had spent weeks arguing should never have been called.

Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, and the United Kingdom. The session focused on Iran's nuclear program and the continuing status of Resolution 2231, the international framework underlying the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Both Pakistan and Somalia withheld their votes, abstaining with...