The UN Security Council now expects to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, diplomats said on Friday.
However, China, with veto power, has made it clear that it is against authorizing any use of force.
A meeting of the 15 members of the Council was initially scheduled for Friday, then rescheduled for Saturday (4). Several diplomats said the meeting had been postponed until next week, with no new date announced so far.
Bahrain’s mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reason for the delay. The resolution faced resistance from China, Russia and other countries and was watered down from its original version.
Oil prices have soared since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, triggering a conflict that has lasted more than a month and largely shut down the main shipping lane.
Bahrain, the current president of the Security Council, finalized a draft on Thursday (2) that would authorize “” to protect commercial transport.
Bahrain’s Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani had told the council on Thursday that the vote would be held on Friday, “God willing”, and added that Bahrain expected a “unified position from this esteemed council”.
Bahrain, supported in its efforts to secure a resolution by other Gulf Arab states and Washington, had previously withdrawn an explicit reference to mandatory enforcement to overcome objections from other countries, particularly Russia and China.
A fourth draft of the resolution was placed under the so-called “silence” procedure for approval by Thursday at noon. Diplomats said the silence was broken by China, France and Russia, but the text was later finalized, or “turned blue” in UN parlance, meaning the vote could take place.
The finalized draft authorizes the measures “for a period of at least six months and until the council decides otherwise.”
However, in his remarks to the Security Council on Thursday morning, China’s UN envoy Fu Cong opposed authorizing the use of force.
He said such a move would “legitimize the illegal and indiscriminate use of force, which would inevitably lead to further escalation of the situation and cause serious consequences.”
A Security Council resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent members: the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to continue strikes on Iran and said on Friday the US could open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time, even as pressure grows for his administration to find a quick resolution to the war.
The UK hosted a meeting on Thursday with more than 40 countries on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and also expressed support for Bahrain’s move to secure a resolution on the issue.
