Russia and China on Tuesday (local time) vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The draft had already been scaled back from an earlier proposal by Gulf states that sought authorization to use force to secure the vital shipping route, Bloomberg reported.
The draft resolution was put forward by Bahrain and backed by the US. It received 11 votes in favour, with two opposed and two abstentions. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, said Gulf states “regret” the rejection of the measure. The vote came after days of negotiations and pressure from several Gulf countries to restore free passage in the strait, which has been essentially shut since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February.
UN resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
The document would have encouraged nations to “coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate to the circumstances,” to ensure security of navigation through the strait.
AP reported that after China, France, and Russia, the three veto-wielding members of the 15-member UNSC, voiced opposition to authorising the use of force, the resolution was revised to remove all references to offensive action. It instead authorized only “all defensive means necessary.” A vote had been expected on Saturday.
The UN resolution vetoed today “strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz.”
The draft said this should include escorting merchant and commercial vessels and deterring attempts to close, obstruct, or interfere with international navigation through the Strait. It also demanded that Tehran immediately cease all attacks on merchant and commercial vessels, stop impeding their freedom of navigation via the Strait of Hormuz, and halt attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Russia, China blame US, Israel for Iran war
Russia, which is allied with Iran, had previously expressed its disapproval with the resolution. On 3 April, Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it would hinder “very fragile chances for negotiations.”
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong have accused the US and Israel of starting the war in Tehran and sparking an expanding global crisis. They told the Security Council last week that the most urgent priority now is to end military operations immediately.
This is a developing story. More details awaited.
