UN faces contentious Iran nuclear vote ahead of General Assembly

By David Brunnstrom Sept 1 (Reuters) - France said on Tuesday the U.N. Security Council will vote this month on renewing the mandate of a panel monitoring sanctions on Iran, setting up a potential showdown with Russia and China, which oppose the sanctions regime and oversight mechanisms. The mandate of the panel, which supports the work of the U.N. sanctions committee on Iran, is due to expire on September 26, during the annual meeting of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is expected to top the agenda.