The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will go through the UN. For ten days, 15 members of the Security Council have been discussing a draft resolution proposed by Bahrain to authorize the use of force to release this blocked shipping lane by Iran.
A UN vote pushed by Gulf states with US support was scheduled for this Friday morning before being indefinitely postponed.
“We call on the Security Council to take all necessary measures to protect maritime corridors and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” said Jassem Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), representing Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.
However, this idea is not unanimous. Several revisions of the text were necessary to reach a version that could finally be presented for a vote. This final version is a compromise aimed at convincing France, Russia, and China to lift their objections. These three countries, permanent members of the Security Council, have veto power.
President Emmanuel Macron deemed the idea “unrealistic” before the negotiations concluded.
The latest draft resolution emphasizes that the Council would authorize any state or coalition of states to use all “defensive” means necessary to ensure ship security. This defensive mandate was initially missing. But it is uncertain if this will be enough to convince Russia and China.
“In the current context, authorizing member states to use force would legitimize the illegal and indiscriminate use of force, inevitably leading to further escalation,” said Chinese ambassador Fu Cong, while Russia, a long-time ally of Tehran, denounced a “partial” text.
On the contrary, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoullatif ben Rachid Al Zayani, who presides over the Security Council in April, emphasized the positive aspects of such a resolution. “It will reflect the unity of the international community to address threats against one of the most vital maritime routes for global trade and energy security,” he stated. Everyone agrees on the diagnosis, but reaching a consensus on the means remains the challenge.
