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World
The US has revised its UN resolution against Iran over Hormuz attacks, but diplomats expect a Russian and Chinese veto.
Diplomats said Friday that a revised US draft resolution at the United Nations, demanding Iran halt attacks and stop laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, is unlikely to overcome Russian and Chinese veto threats despite the changes. The development sets the stage for a diplomatic confrontation just ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China next week, where the conflict with Iran is expected to dominate discussions.
A veto by Beijing would prove awkward for Washington given the timing of the presidential trip. The updated text, circulated to Security Council members Thursday afternoon and reviewed by Reuters, removed a clause invoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter — the provision that authorizes the Council to impose measures ranging from sanctions to military action.
Despite that deletion, the draft maintains a tough stance against Tehran. It includes a stipulation that if Iran does not comply, the Council will reconvene to consider “effective measures… including measures of sanctions, to ensure freedom of navigation in the area.” The vote date remains unclear.
The language does not explicitly authorize force but does not rule it out either. It “stresses the right of member states… to defend their vessels against attacks and threats, including those that undermine the rights and freedoms of navigation.”
Russia and China both wielded their veto power last month to block an earlier US-backed resolution that appeared to open the door to legitimizing American military action against Iran. That 15-member Council showdown is now set to repeat.
The original version of the current resolution, drafted by the United States and Bahrain and submitted for member review this week, drew strong objections from Moscow and Beijing, diplomats said. A UN diplomat noted that while the Chapter VII reference was dropped — as happened with last month’s resolution — the new draft did not address the core Chinese and Russian concerns.
China’s mission to the UN declined to comment on the new text. Russia’s mission had not responded as of Friday. However, in a statement Thursday, the Russian mission urged Council members to refrain from passing “escalatory and one-sided draft resolutions” that could “ignite a new wave of escalation in the Middle East.”
The statement added: “It was precisely for this reason that Russia and China blocked the adoption of a draft resolution on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz on April 7.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the proposed resolution Tuesday as a test of the UN’s relevance, urging China and Russia not to veto it.
