Bahrain has circulated an initial draft of a new UN Security Council resolution targeting Iran to council members, focusing on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a copy obtained by The Post. The proposal also authorizes member states to take practical measures in the maritime domain.
The draft explicitly condemns attacks and threats against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting their impact on international trade, energy security, and the global economy.
“We are determining that Iran’s actions near and around the Strait of Hormuz, including its recurring threats and attacks on commercial and merchant vessels, and actions impeding the freedom of navigation, constitute a threat to international peace and security,” the text states. It further demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels, as well as any attempts to impede lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The resolution calls on Iran to immediately halt all attacks on commercial vessels and any efforts to disrupt freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike Bahrain’s previous resolution, which focused solely on condemning Iranian attacks on countries in the Middle East, this version is framed as an operational text under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, granting member states the authority to take concrete action at sea.
The proposal authorizes member states, acting independently or through multinational maritime partnerships, to use all necessary means in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including within the territorial waters of coastal states, to ensure free passage and counter attempts to block or disrupt navigation.
All actions taken must be reported to UN Security Council
It also stipulates that any actions taken must be reported quarterly to the Security Council by participating states. In addition, it expresses readiness to impose further measures, including targeted sanctions, against actors that undermine freedom of navigation.
“The Security Council authorizes Member States, acting nationally or through voluntary multinational naval partnerships, for which advance notification has been provided to the Security Council, to use all necessary means, in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including within the territorial waters of littoral States within or bordering the Strait of Hormuz, to secure transit passage and to repress, neutralize, and deter attempts to close, obstruct, or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, until such time as the Council decides otherwise.”
As an initial draft circulated to Security Council members, the text is expected to undergo revisions. Still, it already signals a significant escalation by Gulf states toward Iran, moving beyond condemnation and toward the possibility of active measures.