Bahrain pushes UN-backed action for Hormuz shipping; France tables rival text
by John Ireland
PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) – Bahrain has submitted a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorize countries to use “all necessary means” – diplomatic language for force – to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.
Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, but it was unlikely to pass the council, where Russia and China have veto power.
France publicly presented a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution seen by Reuters on Monday evening.
The move underscores growing concern in the region that Iran may continue to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that carries nearly a fifth of global oil supply and supports Gulf economies.
Closing the strait has been one of Iran’s main goals. Shipping through the waterway has come to a near halt after Iran struck ships in its conflict with the United States and Israel.
The draft resolution states that Iran’s actions are a threat to international peace and security.
The Bahraini text authorizes countries, acting alone or through voluntary multinational maritime coalitions, to use “all necessary means” in and around the Strait of Hormuz – including the territorial waters of countries on its coasts – to ensure passage and prevent movements that impede or interfere with international navigation.
The decision also states that it is ready to implement measures, including targeted sanctions.
The Bahraini and U.S. missions to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The draft text “demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all attacks on merchant and merchant shipping and any attempt to impede lawful transit or freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
THERE IS NO INFORMATION FROM IRAN IN THE FRENCH DECISION
The decision would fall under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which allows the council to authorize actions ranging from sanctions to the use of force.
Two European and one Western diplomats said there was little chance of such a resolution being adopted by the Security Council because Iran’s allies Russia and China were likely to veto the text if necessary.
At least nine votes in favor are required for the resolution to be adopted by the 15-member body, and Russia, China, the US, the UK and France have no veto power.
Russian and Chinese delegations to the United Nations were not immediately available for comment.
France presented its own draft on Monday, seeking a more conciliatory tone and broader support within the council.
President Emmanuel Macron, who has proposed the creation of a UN framework for any action against Hormuz, has refused to take part in any immediate operations to secure the Strait, saying international efforts could only take place once hostilities calm down and with Iran’s consent.
Iran is not mentioned in the French decision and is not included in Chapter Seven. “It calls on all parties to refrain from further escalation of tensions, calls for the cessation of ongoing hostilities in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and calls for a return to the path of diplomacy.”
Rather than authorizing action, the text encourages states interested in commercial shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate stringent defensive efforts to ensure the safety and security of navigation, including the escort of commercial and commercial vessels, with full respect for international law, including the law of the sea.
France’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Three US officials told Reuters that 2,500 Marines would be deployed to the region, along with the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer and its accompanying warships, but did not say what their mission would be.
Two officials said that no decision has been made yet on whether to send troops to Iran. Sources have previously told Reuters that possible targets could include the Iranian coast or the Kharg Island oil export hub.
(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Saad Sayeed)
