Russia and China Block UN Resolution to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, blocking a text that had been repeatedly diluted in an attempt to secure their abstention. This move came just hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to open the waterway or face military strikes.

The vote was 11 in favour, two against, and two abstentions. One-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the strait, and Iran's stranglehold on the waterway has sent global energy prices sharply higher.

The original Bahraini proposal would have authorised countries to use all necessary means to ensure transit through the strait and deter attempts to close it. However, after Russia, China, and France expressed opposition to authorising the use of force, the text was revised to remove all references to offensive action.

The resolution that Russia and China ultimately vetoed strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation through the waterway.

It called for the escorting of merchant and commercial vessels and for deterrence of attempts to close, obstruct, or interfere with international navigation. It also demanded that Iran immediately halt attacks on merchant shipping and stop impeding freedom of navigation through the strait.

In response to US and Israeli strikes, Iran has targeted hotels, airports, residential buildings, and other civilian infrastructure across more than 10 countries, including Gulf neighbours that rank among the world's largest exporters of oil and natural gas.

The vote took place hours before an 8 pm Eastern time deadline set by Trump for Iran to reopen the strait or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.