According to diplomatic sources, a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has 112 co-sponsors. This shows that there is great concern around the world about the closure of one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The resolution tabled by Bahrain and the United States is aimed at protecting international waterways, commercial shipping and energy supplies and ensuring the safety of seafarers, sources told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
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It also calls for an end to Iranian attacks on its Gulf neighbors.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait joined Manama and Washington as major backers, while India, Japan, South Korea, Kenya, Argentina and most EU member states also signed, the sources said.
“The list takes up three pages,” said Gabriel Elizondo, Al Jazeera’s New York correspondent. “Essentially, it is co-sponsored by two-thirds of the 193 member countries of the United Nations.”
This is the second resolution that Bahrain has submitted to parliament. The first bill, introduced last month, was vetoed by China and Russia. Both countries have expressed reservations about the new draft, but it is unclear whether they will veto it again if the bill is put to a vote.
No voting date has been set.
The diplomatic push comes as peace talks between Iran and the United States remain stalled. The United States is demanding that Iran dismantle its nuclear program and lift restrictions on the strait. Iran has fought back, demanding war reparations, an end to the U.S. naval blockade of ports and a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel, a U.S. ally, is fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Iran has also insisted that any agreement recognize its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, a claim the United States has said is unacceptable.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Tuesday accused the United States of seeking surrender rather than peace. “True peace cannot be built through the language of humiliation, threats and forced concessions,” he wrote in X.
He said Iran’s demands represent “minimum requirements for a serious and sustainable agreement” rather than “maximum demands.”
Regional powers are also stepping up diplomatic efforts. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Doha on Tuesday to hold talks with Qatari leaders and warned that the strait should not be used as a weapon.
“Every country in the world is now being hit hard by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, calling for an agreement to reopen the waterway to free traffic.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani warned against a return to fighting and called for support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts. “We do not support a resumption of war,” he said. “The role Pakistan plays is very important and important for the entire region and the world.”
This diplomatic activity coincides with President Trump’s state visit to Beijing, and the war with Iran is expected to be addressed in his meeting with President Xi Jinping.
China, Tehran’s close ally and biggest oil customer, has so far avoided direct involvement in the conflict while maintaining commercial ties with Iran.
President Trump’s three-day visit to Beijing comes at a difficult time for the American president.
His approval ratings have fallen due to the prolonged war with Iran and soaring inflation. Economists attribute this in part to disruptions in global energy supplies.
But before boarding Air Force One, Trump said Americans’ financial hardships would not affect his decision-making in negotiations to end the war with Iran.
“I’m not thinking about the financial situation of the American people. I’m not thinking about anyone,” he said. “I think about one thing: We can’t let Iran get nuclear weapons. That’s it. That’s the only thing that motivates me.”
