US, Gulf Arab nations draft new UN resolution on Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a U.N. Security Council resolution designed to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz in response to a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said Monday.

Waltz said talks on the resolution would be held this week after Security Council permanent members Russia and China last month blocked a resolution that Washington hoped would galvanize international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the waterway.

Click here to check the latest updates on the US-Israel-Iran war

KEY DETAILS

The United States, along with Bahrain, is drafting the new resolution with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Waltz told reporters on a briefing call.

The decision is expected to demand that Iran stop attacks on commercial ships and attempts to impose fees on ships in the strait, and that Iran stop placing naval mines and disclose the locations of the mines.

Waltz said the draft resolution was a “narrower effort” than the previous failed resolution and came while the ceasefire with Iran was still in place. “This is more focused on mining in international waterways and charging, which affects all world economies, especially in Asia,” he said.