The United Nations Security Council delayed a vote on using force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, despite pressure from the United States, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
The vote was called on Thursday by Bahrain and scheduled to take place on Friday, but was called off at the last minute. Diplomatic sources told AFP that the delay was because the U.N. observes Good Friday as a public holiday, though this was known when the vote was scheduled. A new date for the vote hasn’t been given.
The vote was set to be contentious. Aside from permanent members Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the U.N. Security Council is currently occupied by Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia.
While the U.N. Security Council doesn’t need a unanimous vote to pass measures, the five permanent members all have veto power. Russia and China’s close relationship with Tehran means the effort to support military action against Iran would be a non-starter.
Pakistan was also likely to object due to its role in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
Although filed by Bahrain, the draft resolution was supported by the United States and echoed many of the United Arab Emirates’ complaints.
“We cannot accept economic terrorism affecting our region and the world, the whole world is being affected by the developments,” Bahrain’s U.N. ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei, said earlier this week, adding that the resolution “comes at a critical juncture.”
The final draft softened its language to appease China, Russia, and a skeptical France, removing references to Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, which would explicitly authorize military force against Iran. The draft instead cleared member states to use “all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances,” either unilaterally or as “voluntary multinational naval partnerships.”
The resolution aims to “secure transit passage and to deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The U.A.E., which has emerged as the most hawkish Gulf country, went further on Tuesday, explicitly citing U.N. Chapter Seven, authorizing military force, economic blockades, and the diplomatic severance of ties.
If passed, the measure would give diplomatic backing to Gulf States and other countries looking to join the U.S. effort to reopen the strait by force. It would not create a U.N. task force or mission to reopen the strait itself.
President Donald Trump has been pushing for other countries to get involved in reopening the strait, telling them in his Wednesday evening address to “take care of it.” On Friday, he reiterated his argument for getting involved in reopening the strait.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE,” Trump said on a social media post. “IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD???”
The effort to reopen the strait has come under criticism from many international observers, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who derided the idea on Thursday as “unrealistic.”
MACRON DOUBTS US ABILITY TO OPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ BY FORCE
“It would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the strait to risks from the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] but also ballistic missiles,” he said.
An effort to reopen the strait by force would require a sizeable naval presence to escort merchant ships, which would have to clear the waterway of mines and intercept any drones fired by Iran.