Bahrain pushes UN resolution for use of “all necessary means” to protect Hormuz shipping
Gulf states and the US back the force-authorizing the draft, while France offers a 'diplomatic' alternative
Bahrain has submitted a draft UN Security Council resolution that would authorize countries to use “all necessary means” to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats told Reuters. The proposal is backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States amid concerns over Iran’s threats to the strategic waterway.
The Bahraini text calls Iran’s actions a threat to international peace and security and would allow states, individually or through voluntary multinational coalitions, to act in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including within the territorial waters of surrounding countries, to ensure safe passage and prevent interference with international navigation. It also expresses readiness to impose measures such as targeted sanctions.
The resolution, if adopted, would fall under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, enabling the council to authorize measures ranging from sanctions to the use of force. The draft “demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels and any attempt to impede lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
Diplomats have said the proposal is unlikely to pass the 15-member council, where Russia and China hold veto power. A resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by permanent members, including Russia, China, the US, Britain, and France, to be adopted.
In contrast, France circulated an alternative draft resolution that makes no mention of Iran and is not under Chapter Seven. The French text “urges all parties to refrain from further escalation, calls for a cessation of the ongoing hostilities in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, and calls for a return to the path of diplomacy.” It encourages states to coordinate defensive efforts for merchant and commercial vessel safety, in accordance with international law.
The move highlights divisions among Security Council members over how to respond to Iranian threats in the Gulf. President Emmanuel Macron has said any international operation in the Strait should occur only after hostilities calm and with Iran’s consent, rejecting immediate military intervention.
US officials have said 2,500 Marines, along with the USS Boxer and accompanying warships, would deploy to the region, though no decision has been made on sending troops into Iran itself. Potential targets previously cited include Iran’s coast or the Kharg Island oil export hub.