Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route blocked by the ongoing Iran war.
The vote, held Tuesday, ended with 11 members in favour, two against, and abstentions from Pakistan and Colombia.
It came just hours after the U.S. President Donald Trump issued a severe warning, saying that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran refused to reopen the strait and reach a deal before his 8 p.m. deadline.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy arteries, carrying about 20 per cent of global oil shipments. Its closure has already sent fuel prices soaring and rattled markets worldwide.
Bahrain’s foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who introduced the resolution, criticised the outcome. “Failing to adopt this resolution sends the wrong signal to the world,” he said, warning that allowing Iran to block the strait amounts to “economic blackmail” that threatens food security and global trade.
The original one Gulf-backed proposal included strong language authorising “all necessary means”—a phrase frequently interpreted as permitting military action—to ensure freedom of passage.
But in efforts to win over Moscow and Beijing, the draft was repeatedly watered down, leaving it largely symbolic.
Ultimately, diplomats admit that even if the resolution had passed, it would have had little immediate impact on the six-week-old conflict. Nevertheless, Washington blasted Russia and China for rejecting the measure, accusing them of weakening international peace and security.