The United States and its Gulf allies have circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would threaten Iran with sanctions or other measures unless it halts attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stops imposing “illegal tolls,” and discloses the placement of all sea mines to allow freedom of navigation, the Associated Press reported.
The draft also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable” U.N. efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor through the strait for the delivery of aid, fertilizer, and other vital goods, according to the news agency.
The proposal is the latest diplomatic push by Washington and its Gulf partners after a watered-down resolution aimed at reopening the strait was vetoed by China and Russia hours before the U.S. and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire in early April, the AP said.
In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of continuing “to hold the world’s economy hostage” by attempting to close the strait, threatening to attack ships, laying sea mines and trying to charge tolls “for the world’s most important waterway,” the AP reported.
Rubio said he looked forward to a vote in the coming days but later told reporters at the White House he remained uncertain whether “slight adjustments” the U.S. had made to the text, including removing language authorizing the use of force and focusing instead on the threat of sanctions, would be enough to avoid another veto by Iran’s allies, according to AP. He called the vote “a real test” for the U.N. “as something that functions, that can solve global problems,” AP said.
The U.S. and Gulf nations advanced the new draft as the Trump administration seeks to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, which carried about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil before the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28, according to the report.
The text reaffirms the right of all countries to defend their vessels from attacks and provocations, and instructs other countries not to assist Iran in closing the strait or levying tolls. It also “welcomes ongoing efforts to deconflict and coordinate safe and secure transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” expresses support for efforts to seek a durable peace in the region, and encourages member states in the region to strengthen dialogue and consultations, the news agency said.
