United Nations, April 7 – Russia and China vetoed a resolution on Tuesday calling for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the use of defensive measures, as the deadline for US President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization approached.
Pakistan, a member of the group of countries in a last-minute diplomatic effort, and Colombia abstained from the resolution proposed by Council President Bahrain, while the other 11 members voted in favor.
The failed resolution was a watered-down version of the original, which would have paved the way for offensive military action following France's objections, in the hope of securing approval from France, Russia, and China.
The final version, proposed by Bahrain with the backing of Gulf countries and Jordan, only called for "efforts to coordinate defensive measures, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz."
Its main aim was to "strongly encourage states interested in using commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz."
In introducing the resolution, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani said: "We declare, loud and clear, that the Islamic Republic of Iran has no right to close this waterway to international navigation, nor to deprive the peoples of the world of these essential and vital resources."
After it failed, he questioned the Council's credibility in dealing with an issue that threatens the global economy by choking off a major artery for global energy.
He said failing to adopt the resolution sends the wrong signal to the world, suggesting that threats to international waterways can pass without decisive action by the international community.
The Council convened ten hours before Trump's deadline for his latest threat to Iran if it did not open the Strait.
In a Truth Social post, he warned that if Iran did not meet the deadline of 8 pm in Washington, "an entire civilization will die tonight, and will never be brought back."
US Permanent Representative Mike Waltz defended the resolution and said that when critical shipments are delayed, "the world will know exactly who chose destruction over responsibility."
The resolution had a simple message: "Iran must stop attacking the Gulf."
Through their vetoes, Russia and China were effectively tolerating Iran "holding the global economy at gunpoint."
Russia's Permanent Representative said his country vetoed the resolution because it was "fundamentally erroneous" and took a "dangerous approach to the situation in the region."
He also complained that it did not mention the initial attacks by Israel and the US on February 28 that started it.
China's Permanent Representative Fu Cong echoed this, saying: "The draft resolution failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner."
Last month, the Council adopted a resolution, also proposed by Bahrain, condemning Iran's attacks on the Gulf states and demanding that Tehran open the Strait. Russia and China abstained on that resolution, allowing its passage.
