Russia and China today vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that was intended to lead to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and was repeatedly edited in the hope that the two countries would abstain, the Associated Press reported.
Eleven Security Council members supported the resolution, while two - Pakistan and Colombia - abstained.
The resolution submitted by Bahrain was voted on hours before the expiration of a deadline that US President Donald Trump gave Iran to open the strategic strait. Trump threatened to attack the Islamic Republic's power plants and bridges if it did not.
About a fifth of oil trade usually passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and its closure by Iran since the start of the war has led to a sharp increase in energy prices, the AP notes.
“Failure to adopt this resolution sends the wrong signal to the world, to the people of the world,“ said Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani. "The signal is that the threat to international sea routes could arise without any decisive measures being taken by the international organization responsible for maintaining international peace and security," he added.
The Bahraini resolution, even if adopted, was unlikely to have any impact on the five-week-old war, as the text of the document was edited repeatedly in an attempt to persuade Russia and China to abstain rather than use their veto power, the AP said.
The proposal initially provided for the right to use "all necessary means" - UN wording that includes military means to ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and prevent attempts to close it.
After Russia, China and France, which have veto power over decisions in the 15-member Security Council, opposed the authorization for the use of force, the resolution was revised to remove all references to offensive action. It was also revised to limit its scope to the Strait of Hormuz, as it previously included adjacent maritime areas.
The final version of the resolution, voted on today, called on affected countries to coordinate their measures to protect sea lanes in the Strait of Hormuz to contribute to maritime security. The document also called on Iran to end its attacks on commercial vessels.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is critical for global oil and natural gas trade, has been almost completely closed since the start of the Middle East war, which began with a US-Israeli attack on February 28, Reuters reported.