The New York Times reported that on April 2 local time, Russia, China, and France were effectively blocking an Arab states' draft resolution calling for the UN Security Council to authorize member states to take military action against Iran in order to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Russia, China, and France stated their opposition to any wording authorizing the use of force.
The New York Times report reveals a crucial fact: China, Russia, and France jointly blocked, within the UN Security Council, an Arab states’ draft resolution aimed at authorizing military action against Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Notably, although the report mentions "Russia, China, and France," subsequent developments showed that France ultimately did not vote against the resolution but instead shifted to support the final adopted text.
The background behind this draft resolution and its push for voting at the UN Security Council is the soaring oil prices triggered by the “oil chokepoint” issue.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital route for about one-fifth of global oil shipments. After U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran at the end of February, Iran responded by blocking the strait, causing global oil prices to surge. Bahrain, representing Gulf states, led the initiative to advance the resolution, with the United States also expressing support.
Around the key phrase “all necessary means” in the draft resolution, intense negotiations took place, with the core dispute centered on whether to invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter (which permits authorization of the use of force).
The initial tough version proposed by Gulf states explicitly referenced “Chapter VII,” authorizing member states to take “all necessary means” to ensure maritime security. This version was clearly opposed by China and Russia due to its strong militaristic tone.
The revised ambiguous version, in an effort to gain broader support, removed the explicit reference to “Chapter VII,” yet still retained the authorization for “all necessary means.”
Under opposition from China, Russia, and France, the final resolution was significantly weakened, with the authorization scope strictly limited to “all necessary defensive measures,” excluding any offensive military actions.
Russia and China maintained clear positions, jointly opposing any UN authorization for the use of force.
Russia: Advocating for a comprehensive solution, accusing the draft of being “one-sided and unbalanced.”
China: Opposed to authorizing the use of force, concerned about escalation of tensions, and called on all parties to cease fire and return to diplomatic negotiation channels.
France and the UK: France initially aligned closely with China and Russia, opposing authorization for military action, but ultimately voted in favor of the final resolution focused on defensive measures; the UK consistently supported the draft resolution from the outset.
In sum, this vote was not merely a technical negotiation—it reflected the broader international power dynamics. China and Russia demonstrated their ability to check Western unilateral actions through the veto (or threat thereof), while the diluted final version indicates that, amid a global energy crisis, all parties are striving to avoid being drawn into a larger-scale, uncontrollable war.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861412322830348/
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