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Russia and China on Tuesday blocked a UN Security Council resolution addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bahrain-sponsored resolution received 11 votes in favour, two abstentions and two - Russia and China - against. Both China and Russia hold veto power on the council.
The vote comes after more than five weeks of war, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, that have raised oil prices and disrupted traffic through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Iran has restricted passage through the strait, raising concerns over global supply chains and energy markets.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani told the Security Council ahead of the vote that Gulf Co-operation Council states are a key source of global energy supplies, making the security of the Strait of Hormuz a matter of international responsibility tied to global economic stability.
He said Iran had “no right” to close the waterway or restrict international navigation, warning that any disruption would deprive countries of vital resources and threaten global markets.
Bahrain, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council, had circulated several draft resolutions over recent days in an effort to bridge deep divisions among members.
The initial draft, proposed in close co-ordination with the members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) as well as Jordan, included language explicitly citing Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which grants the Security Council authority to impose measures ranging from sanctions to military action.
The core provision of the latest draft resolution “encourages” member states to coordinate defensive measures to safeguard navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, including vessel escorts, and to deter attempts to disrupt maritime traffic.
It further determines that Iran’s actions in and around the Strait constitute a threat to international peace and security, demanding that Tehran immediately halt all attacks, threats against commercial shipping, and any efforts to impede freedom of navigation.
The text also requests the Secretary General to report on any further Iranian attacks or provocations targeting merchant vessels, with an initial update due within one week of the resolution’s adoption.
It also urges a return to diplomatic engagement, and welcomes initiatives aimed at securing a durable and lasting peace.
The language stops short of authorising the use of force, reflecting compromises made after objections by veto-wielding members Russia and China who both argued it could heighten rather than ease tension. France, backed by several Security Council members, had also raised concerns about the definition of the “use of force”, arguing that it should be tightly restricted to defensive actions only.
It seeks to guarantee the uninterrupted flow of energy supplies through the strait, a narrow waterway at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf through which about a fifth of global oil trade usually passes.
The UAE’s mission to the UN said in a post on X that it “deeply regrets” the Security Council’s failure to endorse what it described as “a clear framework for international co-operation in ending Iran’s illegal attacks and threats to the global economy".
“The Strait of Hormuz must remain open to all, and the freedom of navigation must be preserved,” the statement said. “No country should have the power to shut down the arteries of global commerce and drive the world to the brink of economic calamity.”
The mission said it would continue to push for international efforts to restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and work with partners on coordinated action to secure navigation and revive global trade flows.
US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the council that Iran's "tyrannical regime" has persisted for decades in "escalating its attacks against the American people ... allies in the region, and the world's commercial fleets" in breach of international law and several Security Council resolutions.
He said Tehran was now “taking the Strait of Hormuz hostage” and, with it, the global economy.
"Well, colleagues, that may be its last act,” he added.
Mr Waltz called on "responsible nations" to join the United States in securing the Strait of Hormuz, "protecting it, ensuring that it remains open to lawful commerce, to humanitarian goods and the free movement of the world's goods".
Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow could not support the draft resolution, arguing it risked setting a “dangerous precedent” for international law, including the Law of the Sea, and for the authority of the Security Council.
He noted that Russia had abstained on the previous GCC Council measure condemning Iranian attacks on Gulf states despite concerns.
“This time, however, the draft put forward goes much further,” he said, stating it is “fundamentally erroneous and dangerous,” with “unbalanced, inaccurate and confrontational elements.”
Mr Nebenzya added that efforts to impose new rules in the Strait of Hormuz could further destabilise the region.
The revised draft includes several references to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), reaffirming that member states have the right to defend their vessels against attacks or provocations that threaten freedom of navigation.
It also makes clear that the resolution applies solely to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and does not alter states’ rights or obligations under international law.
Since the war began on February 28, Iran has attacked ships, ports and energy infrastructure across the Gulf, disrupting maritime trade and energy supplies while fuelling wider economic and supply chain instability in the region.
Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the strait. US President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.
