For the Trump presidency, the end is nigh. Or at least that’s what America’s “partners” believe as they consider the question of Iran.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council convened to contemplate that question, but rather than Iran it was America that they placed in the dock. At the U.N., it seems, America’s power quickly wanes. Diplomats privately say they’d rather await a Democrat in the White House than fall behind the current president’s “America first” agenda — especially when it comes to Iran.

Russia’s envoy here, Vasily Nebenzya, said in respect of the 2015 nuclear deal, America’s “unilateral” actions “remove any incentive for Iran to comply.” Mr. Nebenzya’s remarks Tuesday were so full of scorn that one would be forgiven for wondering what ever happened to the purported special relations his boss maintains with Mr. Trump, which, once again, is all the rage in Washington.

The most visible guest at Tuesday’s virtual parley was Secretary of State Pompeo, who showed up in the Zoom-like session to urge council members to extend an Iran arm embargo, due to expire in October. “This Chamber has a choice,” he said. “Stand for international peace and security, as the UN’s founders intended, or let the arms embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran expire, betraying the U.N.’s mission and its finest ideals.”

A former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mr. Pompeo detailed looming threats to the region and the globe if Iran were allowed to resume the legal purchase and sale of sophisticated weapons. Yet, Mr. Pompeo failed to add an “or else” to his plea. Whether he was intimidated, or worse, tacitly acknowledged the administration is out of gas, is anyone guess.

The dog that didn’t bark in Mr. Pompeo’s speech, the “or else,” is known as snapback. Legal eagles at the State Department contend America can trigger that mechanism, included in the 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed that year’s Iran nuclear deal. In background briefings, administration officials say America would unilaterally invoke that mechanism, reverting to the international sanctions that existed prior to the 2015 resolution, unless the council acts on the arms embargo before October.

Resolution 2231 removed several prior sanctions painstakingly built up for decades as Tehran continued to acquire nuclear capabilities and act aggressively in the region. Resolution 2231 also contained a series of sunset provisions that gradually ease restrictions further. The first of those, the removal of an arms embargo, is due to expire weeks before our presidential election.

Mr. Pompeo’s Tuesday speech was designed to publicly launch negotiations on a proposed American resolution that would extend the arms embargo indefinitely. The proposed resolution, distributed to council members last week, is widely expected to be vetoed by Russia or China, or both. That is why it would have been best had Mr. Pompeo explicitly spelled out America’s intention to, in that case, trigger snapback.

After all, in selling the Iran deal to the American people, officials in President Obama’s administration promised that America could unilaterally reimpose all sanctions at any time it detected Iranian non-compliance. As the UN top political official, Rosemary DiCarlo, told the Council Tuesday, Iran violated the arms embargo by smuggling missiles in the region.

Iranian-made rockets were used by Yemeni allies to attack Saudi Arabia, she noted. Earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency additionally reported Iran failed to cooperate with its inspectors, which violates its obligations as well.

Yet, Mr. Pompeo failed to even say the word “snapback.” Other council members certainly did. As Communist China’s ambassador, Zhang Jun, put it, America “is no longer a participant and therefore cannot” trigger the snapback mechanism. Germany’s UN ambassador, Christoph Heusgen, immediately volunteered , “I would like to align myself with what China said.”

Even Britain, America’s closest ally, joined the chorus. Yes, acting ambassador Jonathan Allen said “the planned lifting of arms restrictions on Iran in October would have major implications for regional security and stability.” He also maintained, though, that America’s “unilateral attempts to trigger UN sanctions snapback would be incompatible with our current efforts to preserve” the Iran deal.

So Mr. Pompeo urged the Security Council to act without spelling out America’s next step if it doesn’t. At the same time, council members warned America not to do that which Mr. Pompeo failed to threaten.

As a former Trump aide now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, Richard Goldberg, twittered, “Anyone watching today’s UN Security Council virtual circus would be right in questioning why the State Department keeps delaying the snapback of UNSCR 2231. The US has a right to snapback. Use it to end all dangerous sunsets. Stop dragging this out.”

Turtle Bay may consider Mr. Trump’s presidency over, but Mr. Pompeo will be better off making clear that it has enough muscle left to fend off a dangerous regime

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@bennyavni