UN draft on Hormuz shipping toned down amid veto risk

Bahrain has submitted a revised draft UN Security Council resolution on protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, retaining the option of using ‘all necessary means’ while removing an explicit reference to the relevant chapter of the UN Charter covering action against threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression.

That earlier wording would have opened the way to direct enforcement measures, including the use of force.

The change comes as traffic through the strategically vital strait, a route for roughly a fifth of global oil supplies, has slowed sharply after Iran attacked vessels during its conflict with the United States and Israel.

The original draft, backed by Gulf Arab states and the US, was likely to face a veto from Russia or China, diplomats said. The revised text therefore softens the language, though it still leaves scope for states or international coalitions to act to protect shipping in the area.

The draft also urges countries that rely on the route to coordinate defensive measures, including the escorting of merchant vessels. Diplomats said the aim was to put the resolution to a Security Council vote on Thursday.

I can also turn it into a Reuters-style urgent, a tighter news intro, or a headline plus standfirst.

(reuters, max)