The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz.
The draft resolution "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels.
Eleven members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, China and Russia voted against it, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained.
The draft resolution was proposed by Bahrain in coordination with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Jordan.
In his explanation of the vote, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong said the draft resolution failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, said the draft resolution presented Iranian actions as the sole source of regional tensions, while illegal attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran were "not mentioned at all."
Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said the draft seeks "to punish the victim for defending its sovereignty and vital national interests in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while providing political and legal cover for further unlawful acts by the aggressors."
UN Security Council fails to adopt draft resolution on Strait of Hormuz
