Security Council: Russia and China veto resolution on Strait of Hormuz

Eleven countries voted in favour of the draft, which was vetoed by permanent members China and Russia while Colombia and Pakistan abstained. 

The draft resolution sought to strongly encourage States interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz – which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates – and to “coordinate efforts” defensively, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation there, including the use of escorts for merchant and commercial vessels. 

The draft also demanded that Iran immediately cease all attacks on shipping and any attempt to impede transit or freedom of navigation in the strait. 

Wrong signal sent: Bahrain 

The text was submitted by Bahrain alongside Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Speaking after the vote, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani expressed regret on their behalf. 

“The Council failed to shoulder its responsibility in relation to an illegal conduct that requires decisive action with no delay,” he said. 

“Failing to adopt this resolution sends the wrong signal to the world, to the peoples of the world, the signal that the threat to international waterways can pass without any decisive action by the international organization responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.” 

Strait of Hormuz cannot be held hostage: US 

United States Ambassador Mike Waltz said that his country stands with Bahrain and the people of the Gulf “at this moment of reckoning.” 

He told the Council that 47 years ago, the Iranian regime’s first act was to take dozens of Americans hostage. 

“Now it’s taking the Strait of Hormuz hostage, and with it, attempting to take the world’s economy hostage. Well, colleagues, that may be its last act. We’ll see,” he said. 

He stressed that “the Strait of Hormuz is too vital to the world to be used as hostage, to be choked, to be weaponized by any one State.”  

Voting against 

Explaining Russia’s vote, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that the resolution presented Iranian actions as the sole source of regional tensions while illegal attacks by the United States and Israel were “not mentioned at all”.   

Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said the draft “failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner.”  

He expressed hope that peace and stability would be restored and affirmed China’s commitment to addressing the situation properly by tackling the root causes. 

Iran’s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the draft sought “to punish the victim for defending its sovereignty and vital national interests in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while providing political and legal cover for further unlawful acts by the aggressors.” 

Veto power 

Fifteen countries sit on the UN Security Council whose five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – have the right of veto any resolution or decision. 

The 10 non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly and serve for two-year terms. 

For a full recap of the meeting, go here to our Meetings Coverage Section.