Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council Calls on UN to Authorize Use of Force in Strait of Hormuz

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called on the UN to give the green light for the use of force to free the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, April 2, ahead of an expected vote from the Council in this matter. Jassem Al-Budaiwi, on behalf of this organization which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, denounced Iran for closing the Strait of Hormuz, hindering commercial ships and oil tankers from passing and imposing conditions to allow the passage of some.

“We call on the Security Council to take all its responsibilities and to take all necessary measures to protect the maritime corridors and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” he emphasized in New York.

These statements come as the 15 Council members have been discussing a resolution proposed by Bahrain for the past ten days to authorize the use of force to free the blocked Strait of Hormuz by Iran. An idea supported by the United States but not unanimously agreed upon.

Macron Skeptical of Military Operation

After multiple revisions, the sixth and final version of the text, seen by AFP, is the result of a compromise aimed at convincing France, Russia, and China, especially of lifting their objections. Emmanuel Macron had been skeptical of a military operation to “liberate” the strait, deeming it “unrealistic.”

However, the latest draft resolution emphasizes that the Council would authorize any state or coalition of states to use “defensive” means to ensure the security of ships. A defensive mandate stipulation initially absent. But it is uncertain whether this will be enough to convince Russia and China, who have veto power.

“In the current context, authorizing member states to use force would legitimize the illegal and indiscriminate use of force, inevitably leading to a new escalation,” stated Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong, while Russia, a long-standing ally of Tehran, criticized the text as “biased.”

Near Paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz

The vote scheduled for Friday, April 3, morning, has been indefinitely postponed, according to the new schedule. The fact that Friday is Good Friday, a UN holiday, was cited as the reason for the postponement, according to diplomatic sources, but this schedule was known when the vote was scheduled.

An adoption of the resolution would reflect “the unity of the international community to address threats against one of the most vital maritime routes for global trade and energy security,” stated Abdoullatif ben Rachid Al Zayani, Foreign Minister of Bahrain, currently presiding over the Security Council in April.

Since the beginning of the conflict triggered on February 28 by Israeli-American strikes on Iran, the near-paralysis by Tehran of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil production and liquefied natural gas normally pass, has led to a significant increase in hydrocarbon prices worldwide.