NEW YORK (MNN); The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem al-Budaiwi, called on the UN Security Council on Thursday to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
Iran has imposed a blockade on the critical shipping route, threatening global fuel supplies and causing economic disruptions, in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that sparked the month-long Middle East conflict.
“Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the Strait,” said Jassem al-Budaiwi.
He made the remarks at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.
“We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” al-Budaiwi added.
Bahrain has submitted a draft resolution allowing states to use “all necessary measures” to ensure free passage through the Strait, though the proposal has divided the 15-member Security Council. Russia, China, and France, all with veto power, have expressed strong objections despite multiple revisions.
“We want a Security Council decision that addresses the situation comprehensively with the root causes, and not one-sided and unbalanced,” said Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Representative of Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron described a military operation to free the Strait as “unrealistic.” A fifth version of the draft resolution was circulated to member states on Thursday.
Approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz in normal times. Its near-total closure is disrupting global supplies of oil, LNG, and fertiliser, leading to a sharp increase in energy prices.
