UN Security Council passes resolution urging Iran to stop Gulf attacks; China, Russia abstain

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday (March 11) adopted a resolution urging Iran to stop its attacks on Gulf nations, but the text avoided mentioning recent US or Israeli strikes on Iran, drawing sharp criticism from Tehran.

The resolution passed with 13 votes in favour, while veto-holding members China and Russia abstained. It “demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.”

The measure also “condemns any actions or threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran has launched repeated strikes on Gulf states following US-Israeli attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeted Iranian facilities. Tehran has also fired at commercial vessels traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, in what it says is retaliation meant to pressure the world economy.

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Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, Bahrain’s ambassador to the UN, introduced the resolution backed by 135 countries. He said the vote highlighted the Gulf region’s importance to global stability. "This is why ensuring the security of this region is not merely a regional matter; it is a common international responsibility that is closely linked to the stability of the global economy and energy security," Alrowaiei told the council.

Both China and Russia chose to abstain, criticizing the resolution for failing to acknowledge US-Israeli actions against Iran. Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani condemned the vote, saying adoption of the measure represented a "blatant misuse of the Security Council mandate in pursuit of the political agendas" of the United States and Israel.

"Let me make it clear, this resolution is a manifest injustice against my country, the main victim of a clear act of aggression," he said.

The United States supported the resolution and said it showed broad international opposition to Iran’s military actions.

US ambassador Mike Waltz said, "Iran's strategy of sowing chaos, of trying to hold their neighbors hostage, trying to shake the resolve of the region, has clearly backfired, as shown by this vote today."

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