In a significant diplomatic clash at the United Nations on Tuesday, Russia and China wielded their veto power to block a Security Council resolution that aimed to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. This decision came just hours before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, demanding Iran to stop threatening the crucial maritime passage.
President Trump had issued an ultimatum to Iran, stating that if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by 8 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. would target Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges. The draft resolution garnered support from 11 of the Council’s members, while Pakistan and Colombia chose to abstain from voting.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz expressed strong disapproval following the veto, saying, “It is unacceptable that the global economy is being held hostage, yet today, Russia and China chose to support a regime intent on coercing the Gulf into submission. This is the same regime that suppresses its own citizens during a nationwide internet blackout, all because they dare to aspire for dignity and freedom.”
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the consequences of the vote. “This failure to pass the resolution sends a troubling message worldwide, suggesting that threats to vital international waterways can occur without definitive action from the global body tasked with maintaining peace and security,” he remarked after the outcome.
The Security Council’s vote, held at the U.N. headquarters in New York on April 7, 2026, was a pivotal moment, as China and Russia exercised their vetoes against the proposed resolution. The resolution, introduced by Bahrain, urged nations with interests in the Strait of Hormuz to collaborate on defensive measures to ensure the safety and security of navigation through this critical channel.
The vetoed resolution, which was introduced by Bahrain, “strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz.”
The resolution also demanded that Iran immediately halt attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and stop impeding their freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian infrastructure.
The language of the resolution was significantly weakened to try to get Russia and China to abstain rather than veto it, according to The Associated Press.
The initial Gulf proposal would have authorized countries to use “all necessary means” — U.N. wording that would include military action — to ensure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and deter attempts to close it.
Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
After Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries on the 15-member Security Council, expressed opposition to approving the use of force, the resolution was revised to eliminate all references to offensive action. It would have authorized only “all defensive means necessary.” A vote had been expected on Saturday.
But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz. Previous drafts had included adjacent waters.
“Let me be clear — this text would only embolden the United States and the Israeli regime to continue in their unlawful actions and atrocious crime, while shielding from accountability,” Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, said following the vote.
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, of Russia, waits for the start of a Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York City on April 7, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“The Iranian regime has until 8 p.m. Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday. “Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do.”
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