UN Security Council Vote on Strait of Hormuz Postponed Until Tomorrow

The United Nations Security Council will hold a vote on a proposal for the safety of ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The vote was originally scheduled for today but has been rescheduled to Saturday (4/4).

According to Al Jazeera on Friday (3/4/2026), all 15 council members will vote on the Bahrain resolution, which aims to protect commercial shipping in that important waterway, which typically carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies reported that the proposal includes allowing the UN Security Council to permit countries to “use all necessary defensive means” to protect commercial shipping.

Several parties view the proposal as unlikely to pass. This is because China, a permanent council member with veto power, has made it clear that it opposes any resolution mentioning the use of force.

Previously, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling on Iran to immediately cease its attacks on Gulf states. The UN Security Council stated that those attacks violate international law and pose a “serious threat to international peace and security.”

That UN Security Council resolution was adopted on Wednesday (11/3) local time, with 13 countries in favour and two abstaining. The resolution “demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.”

Earlier, on 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader and triggered a war in the Middle East. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes across the region.

This includes attacks that have hit neighbouring countries that have stated they are not involved in the war and do not allow warring parties to launch attacks from their territory.

Iran has also attacked commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route for global fuel trade, in an effort to harm the global economy.