China and Russia veto UN draft resolution calling for countries to defend Strait of Hormuz
發佈日期: 2026-04-08 20:24
TVB News
China and Russia have vetoed a draft United Nations resolution calling on countries to coordinate defensive measures in the Strait of Hormuz, with the former calling the resolution an attempt to justify illegal acts of violence.
This as some UN representatives noted that American attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran could amount to war crimes.
In the United Nations resolution calling on countries to coordinate defensive measures in the Strait of Hormuz, 11 members of the UN Security Council supported the resolution proposed by the Gulf nation of Bahrain.
The US, being one of its supporters, called the draft a significant contribution to ensuring the protection of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
But China and Russia, two of the UN security council's permanent members, voted against the proposal, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained.
The former noted the strategic waterway was blockaded owing to the US and Israel's illegal military operations in Iran, adding that the draft failed to mention the source of the conflict and could lead to future cases of legitimising illegal military actions.
China's permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, said the strait should not be forcefully reopened and stressed the Security Council should not add fuel to the fire in the Middle Eastern conflict.
Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya said that the draft resolution would grant the US free rein to continue their military actions in Iran.
Nebenzya further said the adoption of the draft could set a dangerous precedent.
Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said according to international law, purposeful attacks on civilian facilities could amount to war crimes.
