China and Russia Veto UN resolution on Bahrain's Strait of Hormuz reopening

China and Russia vetoed a Bahraini resolution urging global coordination to safeguard commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, on Tuesday's UN Security Council vote.

China and Russia vetoed a Bahraini resolution urging global coordination to safeguard commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, on Tuesday's UN Security Council vote.

The 15-member council saw 11 votes in favor, two against (China and Russia), and two abstentions. 

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani told the Council, "The draft resolution was not adopted due to the negative vote of a permanent Council member.", per Reuters report.

Even if adopted, the resolution, now significantly watered down to secure abstentions from Russia and China rather than vetoes, would likely have had little impact on the war, which is entering its fifth week.

The original Bahrain proposal would have authorized countries to use “all necessary means”, UN phrasing that encompasses military action, to secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and deter any attempts to close it.

After opposition from veto-wielding Security Council members Russia, China, and France to endorsing force, the text was revised to remove all references to offensive action, permitting only “all defensive means necessary.”

The final version, vetoed today, “strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz.”