April 03, New Delhi: The UN Security Council has postponed a vote that was scheduled for Friday on authorizing the use of "defensive" force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
The 15-member body had planned to vote on a draft resolution, but by Thursday night, the schedule was shifted due to Good Friday, a public holiday observed by the United Nations.
The resolution, put forward by Bahrain, the council's current rotating president, would have authorized member states "to use all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances" to secure passage in the strategic waterway for at least six months.
Meanwhile, Iran warned the UN Security Council against any provocative actions. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that any aggressive moves by the "aggressors and their supporters," including within the UNSC, would only complicate the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.