Russia and China veto UN Security Council resolution on Strait of Hormuz security

Key facts

• The UN Security Council (UNSC) failed to adopt a resolution on boosting security in the Strait of Hormuz after Russia and China exercised their veto on 7 April 2026.
• Eleven countries voted in favour, Colombia and Pakistan abstained, and permanent members China and Russia voted against the draft resolution.
• The draft was submitted by Bahrain together with Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• The draft resolution encouraged States to coordinate defensive efforts to ensure safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and demanded Iran immediately cease all attacks on shipping.
• Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani stated that the Council’s failure to adopt the resolution sends the wrong signal that threats to international waterways can pass without decisive action.
• United States Ambassador Mike Waltz declared that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be held hostage and must not be weaponized by any one State.
• Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticised the draft for presenting Iranian actions as the sole source of tensions while omitting illegal attacks by the United States and Israel.
• Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said the draft failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict comprehensively and in a balanced manner.
• Iran’s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani claimed the draft sought to punish Iran for defending its sovereignty while providing cover for further unlawful acts by aggressors.
• The UNSC comprises 15 members, of which 5 permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—hold veto power.