Russian FM: UNSC cannot approve draft resolution on Strait of Hormuz

A draft resolution on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz proposed by Bahrain cannot be approved by the UN Security Council, as it would not contribute to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Speaking at a press conference following talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, Lavrov made it clear that the proposed measure would do little to advance diplomacy, Caliber.Az reports, citing TASS.

He noted that such a decision by the UN Security Council is unlikely to increase the chances of a peaceful settlement, not to mention the authority of this body.

Lavrov outlined two main concerns.

First, he said the central provision of the draft—aside from descriptions of the situation and calls on Iran not to respond to strikes on its territory—would authorise “all interested states, whether acting individually or as part of coalitions, to take all necessary measures to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

He added that although the wording was later modified to “all necessary defensive measures,” it was immediately qualified by the phrase “proportionate to the circumstances.”

“Who will determine these circumstances?. Naturally, the same states that are granted the right to apply ‘all necessary defensive measures.’ We understand what this means,” he stressed.

Lavrov stated that he has seen how its Western colleagues have previously handled what appeared to be purely defensive UN Security Council decisions: they were immediately distorted and used for aggressive purposes.

As a second concern, Lavrov warned that such “defensive measures proportionate to the circumstances” could be applied to states—primarily in the Persian Gulf—that would not be involved in these actions at all, calling it “a direct violation of their sovereignty.”

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov