The UN Security Council is set to vote on a draft resolution in New York, USA on Tuesday, April 7th. The resolution calls for the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, shifting away from the Gulf countries’ original push for a clear mandate to liberate it by force.
The vote is scheduled for 11 am local time (5 pm Paris time), just hours before the deadline set by President Donald Trump. Trump threatened to destroy Iran entirely on Tuesday night if Tehran did not reopen this vital maritime route important for global oil supply.
Backed by the Gulf countries and the US, Bahrain, an elected member of the Security Council, initiated negotiations two weeks ago on a text authorizing any state or coalition to use “all necessary means” to ensure ship security and prevent the strait’s blockade.
“We cannot accept that economic terrorism affects our region and the entire world,” said Bahrain’s ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei, last week.
The draft resolution no longer mentions authorization for the use of force, emphasizing defensive measures instead. It strongly encourages states to coordinate defensive efforts to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including escorting merchant and commercial vessels.
The resolution also demands Iran immediately stop any attacks on ships passing through the crucial commercial route and any attempt to hinder freedom of navigation. The Council is ready to consider further measures against those undermining this navigation freedom.
The potential adoption of the resolution would provide a clear diplomatic rejection of Iran’s blockade of the strait, according to Daniel Forti of the International Crisis Group. This compromise shows the Council is still a place for diplomacy, albeit limited, avoiding the support for a potential military escalation.
Since the conflict began on February 28th due to Israeli-American strikes on Iran, Tehran’s near-paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles a fifth of global oil production, has led to a sharp rise in oil prices, impacting the global economy.
Security Council mandates authorizing the use of force are rare. In 1990, during the Gulf War, a vote allowed a US-led coalition to intervene in Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait.
In 2011, NATO intervened in Libya with Russia’s abstention, leading to the downfall of Colonel Gaddafi, which later angered Russia.
