China aims to weaken Iran resolution before UN rights body

China brought a last-minute amendment to a motion on Iran before the U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday that would strip out the main paragraph referring to a new investigative probe into Iran's suppression of mass protests.

China's envoy told the council shortly before a scheduled vote that the motion led by Germany was "overwhelmingly critical" of Iran. "It obviously will not help resolve the problem," he added, calling for a key paragraph to be deleted.

The paragraph in question would establish an "international fact-finding mission" that would be operational until early 2024.