The Gulf countries have urged the UN to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz United Nations News

The Gulf countries are pushing for a resolution of the United Nations Security Council that threatens Iran with sanctions and other measures if it does not stop the naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, stop forcing “illegal payments”, and reveal the location of all the mines to allow freedom of movement.

Speaking at the UN on Thursday, top diplomats from Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stressed the need to restore pre-war traffic on the narrow road through which nearly a fifth of the world’s energy supplies pass in peacetime.

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Ensuring that the crisis remains open is a “requirement” of the UN meetings, and a “shared responsibility of the international community,” said Qatar’s ambassador to the UN, Alya Ahmed Saif al-Thani. The current situation “not only threatens global economic stability and energy security but also exacerbates poverty and undermines regional stability,” he added.

The three Gulf countries that co-sponsor the resolution, along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United States, also want Iran to “immediately participate and support” UN operations to establish a humanitarian aid system to provide essential aid, fertilizers and other goods.

Countries rich in oil and gas have found themselves at the forefront of the war between Tehran and Washington. When the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran in late February, the Islamic Republic responded with force and civilian weapons in its Gulf neighbors. Iran has also brought traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a complete standstill, making travel even more dangerous. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipelines through the narrow channel and allow exports, other Gulf countries, such as Qatar, have been forced to freeze energy exports.

As global gas and oil prices soared, the Trump administration imposed an embargo on Iranian ports, preventing Tehran from exporting its oil.

Bahrain’s ambassador to the UN, Jamal Alrowaiei, stressed the need for “action” to make the route “safe, secure and open”.

“This decision is driven by a clear principle: freedom of movement in accordance with international law.”

Mohammed Issa Abushahab, UAE representative to the UN, added that “international maritime routes cannot be controlled by coercion, threats of coercion or threats to civilian and commercial shipping”.

“This decision calls for the disclosure and removal of sea mines that are placed in and around the Strait of Hormuz. It rejects the establishment of illegal mining and interferes with the right to navigate and cross the legal channels. It supports the establishment of a humanitarian channel to facilitate the movement of aid, fertilizers, and other essential goods through the Abushahab River,” he said.

‘A simple request’

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, criticized reports that Iran is setting up the Persian Gulf Straits Authority, which would impose tariffs on ships passing through the waterway, calling the dispersal of sailors in the Strait an “unprofitable ambition”.

He said: “International sanctions aimed at resolving conflicts of some kind are unacceptable, immoral, and illegal under international law.”

“These should be simple demands. The removal of mines from the international road that you cannot pay illegal money. We must deal with these violations, here at the council, and we must ask ourselves if the country chooses to oppose such simple ideas, do they really want peace,” said Waltz.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said shipping would return to normal if the war ended and the blockade, as well as sanctions against his country, were lifted.

Speaking about the UN resolution, he added that it ignores the cause of the crisis, accusing the US of using force and attacking Iran.

Bahrain’s previous resolution, which was supported by the US and appeared to pave the way for military action against Iran, failed last month when Russia and China used their vetoes in the 15-member Security Council.

The new arrangement avoids the familiar force authorization language while still operating under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows the Security Council to establish measures ranging from sanctions to military action.

Washington says it hopes to end negotiations among Security Council members quickly, with the goal of publishing a final draft of the resolution by Friday and holding a vote early next week, although Russia and China still have competing terms.