UN Security Council condemns Iran attacks on Gulf without mentioning US and Israel
The UN Security Council has voted to call for an end to Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting strong criticism from Tehran’s ambassador.
The resolution was tabled by Iran's Gulf neighbour Bahrain and sponsored by 135 countries.
It demanded “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”.
It also condemned actions or threats by Iran “aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”.
The resolution was passed by 13 votes to none against, with Russia and China abstaining. A second draft tabled by Russia, which called on all sides to cease hostilities, was rejected.
Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, Bahrain's UN envoy, said the vote reflected the Gulf’s key role in the global economy.
“This is why ensuring the security of this region is not merely a regional matter, it is a common international responsibility that is closely linked to the stability of the global economy and energy security,” he told the Security Council.
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said the adoption of the text was a “blatant misuse” of the Security Council that leaves “a lasting stain on its record”.
“Let me make it clear: this resolution is a manifest injustice against my country, the main victim of a clear act of aggression,” he said.
'Biased and one-sided'
The war began on 28 February after the US and Israel launched strikes across Iran, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior officials and many civilians.
Iran has responded by launching drone and missile attacks on Israel, as well as every country in the Gulf.
"Iran's strategy of sowing chaos, of trying to hold their neighbours hostage, trying to shake the resolve of the region, has clearly backfired, as shown by this vote today," said the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz.
Beijing said that the US and Israel launched strikes without Security Council authorisation and must cease their actions immediately.
While stressing that the sovereignty and security of Gulf states must be respected, Fu Cong, China’s representative, said the text “does not fully reflect the root cause and overall picture of the conflict in a balanced manner”.
Vasily Nebenzya, Moscow’s representative, said the resolution was “biased and one-sided”.
“The Council’s adoption could be interpreted by bad-faith actors, and first and foremost by those who started this war, to continue their acts of aggression against Iran,” he warned.
Nebenzya then introduced a separate draft, which he said was an “impartial document aimed at urgently de-escalating the situation”. He said the text intentionally did not mention the names of any parties to the conflict.
The Russian draft was rejected by a vote of four in favour (China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia) to two against (Latvia and the US), with nine abstentions (Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Greece, Liberia, Panama and the UK).
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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