Russia and China still have “serious concerns” about a US-backed draft UN Security Council resolution demanding Iran stop obstructing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, remove sea mines and halt "illegal tolls”, according to a letter seen by The National.
The letter, sent by Moscow and Beijing to Security Council members following informal expert consultations hosted by Bahrain last week, said both countries viewed the proposal as “unbalanced and one-sided”.
“We strongly believe that it would not contribute to de-escalation,” the letter said. “Rather, this proposal risks exacerbating tensions and undermining ongoing diplomatic mediation efforts.”
Russia and China said they “reiterate our disapproval of the text” and urged the draft’s co-penholders to "withdraw it".
“We also encourage a renewed focus on the negotiation process between the United States and Iran, as well as on developing measures that would support the parties in reaching mutually acceptable agreements,” the letter added.
The US has delayed the vote on the draft resolution targeting Iran’s action in the Strait of Hormuz, as it, alongside Bahrain, seeks to rally broader international backing.
One diplomat familiar with the discussions said at least 100 UN member states have committed to co-sponsor the draft, underscoring growing international concern over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies usually pass.
The proposed revised resolution stops short of explicitly invoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which authorises military enforcement action, but analysts say several provisions could still lay the groundwork for future coercive measures.
The draft determines that Iran’s actions constitute “a threat to international peace and security” and warns the council could later consider sanctions in the event of non-compliance.
It also demands that Iran disclose the number and locations of sea mines laid in and around the Strait of Hormuz and refrain from obstructing international mine-clearing operations.
But despite broad support, diplomats said the US and Bahrain have held off requesting a vote while lobbying undecided countries and assessing whether any compromise with Russia or China remains possible.
“The process feels a little chaotic,” Richard Gowan, global issues and institutions programme director at the International Crisis Group, told The National.
“I think that the US and Bahrain are extending the process to maximise the number of co-sponsor. There is not much sign that they are willing to negotiate on substantive aspects of the text, like the threat of potential sanctions, that could persuade China and Russia to back the text.”
He added that he had understood that Russia has been clear it will veto the resolution.
“China initially seemed hopeful for a compromise, possibly to keep the Gulf countries happy or to avoid a showdown around the time of the Xi-Trump summit," he said. "But as of now, a compromise looks remote.”
Moscow accused the US and Bahrain of using “one-sided demands” against Tehran.
Former US ambassador to Tunisia Gordon Gray told The National that despite Russia and China vetoing Bahrain's draft in April, introducing a new resolution was a “smart diplomatic move” by the administration of US President Donald Trump because it underscored Washington’s solidarity with Gulf allies and demonstrated broad international backing for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz renewed calls on Sunday for the council to adopt the resolution, condemning what Washington described as Iran’s restrictions on commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iran has sharply rejected the US-backed initiative.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused Washington on Tuesday of attempting to “rewrite the effects of their own illegal actions in the language of international order".
He said on X that any resolution that failed to address what Tehran describes as “aggression, siege and Iran’s right to self-defence” would be “flawed, biased, political, and doomed to failure".
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week described the resolution as a test of the credibility of the UN, and urged China and Russia not to veto the measure.
“If the international community can’t rally behind this and solve something so straightforward, then I don’t know what the utility of the UN system is,” Mr Rubio said.
