The Security Council today rejected a draft resolution submitted by several Gulf States that would have strongly encouraged countries to coordinate defensive efforts and deter attempts to interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. […]
However, the representative of China, whose delegation voted against the text, said that the proposed draft “failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner”. Noting that it contained one-sided condemnations, he stressed that “this war should never have happened” and called on the United States and Israel to cease what he described as illegal military actions. He also called on Iran to stop its attacks and noted that his delegation is currently working alongside Moscow on an alternative resolution to address the situation.
Beijing and Moscow announced plans to introduce an alternative text soon. “Our draft will be concise, equitable and balanced,” said the representative of the Russian Federation, who also cast a veto today. By contrast, he noted that today’s resolution — which “abounded with unbalanced, inaccurate and confrontational elements” — presented Iranian actions as the sole source of regional tensions. Illegal attacks by the United States and Israel were “not mentioned at all”, he observed. Moreover, he stressed that the implications of the text are “clear to us”, reminding Council members what the “loose and expansive interpretation” of resolution 1973 (2011) wrought in Libya.
“The objective of this draft is obvious,” stated Iran’s representative, as it seeks to “punish the victim for defending its sovereignty and vital national interests in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz while providing political and legal cover for further unlawful acts by the aggressors”. Adding that “this was a United States draft” in substance, he welcomed that China and the Russian Federation demonstrated a “responsible” use of the veto and that Colombia and Pakistan abstained from voting on a text that would have normalized the use of force based on vague, unfounded allegations. Läs pressmeddelande