Bahrain has circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz that removes language around the possible use of force, as supporters of the document tried to head off possible vetoes by Russia or China.
The latest iteration of the document, which has gone through multiple revisions and may still change, “strongly encourages” countries to “coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate to the circumstances”, to ensure security of navigation through the strait. A previous version had said states could use “all defensive means necessary” to secure transit through Hormuz.
Russia, which is allied with Iran and holds veto power on the Security Council, had expressed its disapproval over some of the earlier language, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would disrupt “very fragile chances for negotiations”. China and France also voiced concerns.
The Security Council is scheduled to vote on the draft at 1am on Wednesday (AEST), though previous plans to consider the resolution were scrapped as nations wrangled over its language.
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.