Russia and China veto watered-down UN resolution aimed at reopening the Strain of Hormuz
Why it matters: The veto means one-fifth of the world's oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz remains imperiled, keeping energy prices soaring.
- Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution, despite it being watered down, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia and China’s U.N. ambassador Fu Cong arguing it would enable U.S. and Israeli aggression.
- U.S. President Donald Trump issued an unprecedented threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not open the strategic waterway, which Russia and China cited as confirmation of their concerns.
- Bahrain's foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who authored the draft, criticized the UN for inaction, stating it allows the international community to be "held hostage to economic blackmail" and sends a signal that threats to international waterways can pass without decisive action.
- Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir-Saeid Iravani, thanked Russia and China, asserting the resolution misleadingly portrayed Iran’s lawful self-defense measures in the Strait of Hormuz as threats to international peace and security.
- Russia and China immediately circulated a rival resolution urging all parties to halt military activities and condemning attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, which Nebenzia indicated was ready for a vote.
Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, citing U.S. President Trump's aggressive rhetoric against Iran as justification for their opposition. They argued the resolution would grant the U.S. and Israel "carte blanche for continued aggression" and failed to address the conflict's origins, immediately proposing a rival resolution calling for a halt to military activities.
