U.S. and Gulf Arab states draft U.N. resolution on Iran and Strait of Hormuz shipping
The Facts
- The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a new U.N. Security Council resolution concerning Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
- U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said negotiations on the resolution are expected to take place this week.
- Waltz said the United States is co-drafting the resolution with Bahrain, with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
- The draft resolution is expected to call on Iran to stop attacks on merchant shipping, stop laying sea mines, disclose mine locations, and end attempts to impose tolls in the strait.
- The new draft comes after Russia and China blocked a previous Security Council resolution last month on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Waltz described the new proposal as a narrower effort than the earlier failed resolution.
- The Strait of Hormuz is described in the coverage as a key route for international shipping, including oil and gas flows, making disruptions there consequential beyond the immediate parties.
Context
What would the proposed U.N. resolution require?
According to Waltz, the draft is expected to require Iran to stop attacks on merchant shipping, stop placing sea mines, disclose the locations of mines, and end attempts to impose tolls on vessels using the strait BOE Report,haaretz.com,قناة العربية.
Who is backing the draft resolution?
Waltz said the United States is co-drafting the measure with Bahrain, with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia BOE Report,Daily Sabah,Asharq Al-Awsat Eng….
Why is this issue drawing international attention?
Multiple reports describe the Strait of Hormuz as a critical maritime corridor for global trade and for oil and gas shipments, so efforts to restore freedom of navigation there have implications beyond the U.S.-Iran dispute Times of Israel,haaretz.com,BW Businessworld.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- A narrower U.N. resolution is being drafted to press Iran to stop attacks on merchant shipping, sea mines, and toll attempts in the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions to a key oil, gas, and trade route carry wider international consequences.
- Where Left and Right split
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: protecting far-off people and economies from the spillover costs of instability, versus crafting a more workable U.N. defense of freedom of navigation after a broader effort was blocked.
How left and right read it
What stands out here is how quickly a disruption in the Strait of Hormuz can spill far beyond the immediate dispute, because this is a key route for international shipping, including oil and gas flows. A resolution focused on stopping attacks on merchant shipping, sea mines, and toll attempts reads as an effort to protect people and economies far from the negotiating table from the costs of instability.
The notable point is the attempt to build a more workable U.N. approach after Russia and China blocked the broader resolution last month. Waltz describes this draft as narrower, and its focus on attacks on merchant shipping, sea mines, and toll attempts suggests a practical effort to defend freedom of navigation and the basic rules of international commerce.
The receipts — 23 sources
Wire services (2)
Independent coverage (21)
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