The United Nations nuclear watchdog took a baby step on Thursday against Iran’s unrelenting nuclear ambitions, passing a censure resolution devoid of any significant accountability.

In a 20-12 vote, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) backed a Western-drafted measure demanding Tehran cease its provocations and regain transparency over a catalog of undeclared nuclear sites and materials.

“Iran’s escalating nuclear activities significantly harm international security and undermine the global non-proliferation architecture. We will continue consultations, alongside international partners, on how best to address the increasing doubts about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” reads a joint statement by IAEA representatives from France, the UK, and Germany.

However, even that small display of force proved too much for Iran’s rogue allies Russia and China, who dutifully cast dissenting votes, shielding the Islamic Republic from any remote threat of accountability. A dozen other nations on the board abstained, underscoring just how fragmented the international will is to decisively confront the world’s foremost nuclear proliferation threat.

It’s a page straight out of the IAEA’s decades-long pattern of accommodating Iranian deception while its monitoring capacities degrade. With over 140 kilograms of highly-enriched uranium reportedly already stockpiled, IAEA projections indicate that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could cross the enrichment threshold for weapons-grade nuclear material within weeks.