UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and its Gulf allies have proposed a U.N. resolution threatening Iran with sanctions or other measures if it doesn’t halt attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stop imposing “illegal tolls,” and disclose the placement of all mines to allow freedom of navigation.
The draft Security Council resolution, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable” United Nations efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor in the strait for the delivery of vital aid, fertilizer and other goods.
It is the latest diplomatic effort by the U.S. and its Gulf allies after a watered-down resolution aimed at opening the strait was vetoed by China and Russia hours before Washington and Tehran announced a temporary ceasefire in early April.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement on Tuesday accused Iran of continuing “to hold the world’s economy hostage” by trying to close the strait, threatening to attack ships, laying sea mines, and attempting to charge tolls “for the world’s most important waterway.”
While Rubio said he looks forward to the resolution being voted on in the coming days, he told journalists later in the day that he remained uncertain if “slight adjustments” the U.S. made to the text would be enough to avoid a veto from Tehran's allies on the council. These adjustments included removing language authorizing the use of force and focusing instead on the threat of sanctions.
Whether the resolution succeeds will be “a real test" for the U.N. “as something that functions, that can solve global problems," Rubio added at the White House briefing.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told reporters Monday he believes the new, narrow proposal will gain the necessary support it needs to pass the 15-member council, without triggering opposition or a veto from Iran’s allies.
The U.S. and Gulf nations proposed the new draft as the Trump administration tries to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, which carried about 20% of the world’s crude oil before the U.S. and Israel began the war on Feb. 28. A shaky ceasefire remains in effect.
The proposed resolution, which was drafted under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter and thus could be enforced militarily, threatens “effective measures that are commensurate with the gravity of the situation, including sanctions” if Iran doesn’t comply. The earlier resolution removed a Chapter 7 reference but was still vetoed.
One Security Council diplomat told AP that as in previous negotiations on Hormuz resolutions, specific language directly condemning Iran, without also reflecting U.S. and Israeli strikes, has been an issue with some members. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.
The new draft resolution reaffirms the right of all countries to defend their vessels from attacks and provocations, and orders all other countries not to assist Iran in closing the strait or levying tolls.
The draft also “welcomes ongoing efforts to deconflict and coordinate safe and secure transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz, expresses support for ongoing efforts to seek a durable peace in the region, and encourages member states in the region to strengthen dialogue and consultations in this regard.”
The diplomat also said that the U.S. has been engaging in serious efforts to convince China to abstain from vetoing the resolution, including at the highest diplomatic levels as both countries prepare for President Donald Trump's visit next week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) — A special election in a small Michigan swing district on Tuesday could have outsized consequences, determining whether Democrats retain their slim majority in the state Senate for the final months of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term.
Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney are vying for the 35th state Senate district seat left vacant in January 2025. Also running is Libertarian candidate Ali Sledz. The district is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Detroit and includes Saginaw, Bay City and Midland.
Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited, setting up a competitive race in November to succeed her. With Democrats currently controlling the state Senate 19-18, Tuesday's outcome will be key for the state's legislative agenda in the months before she leaves office in January.
Beyond the immediate stakes, political insiders are watching the race for clues about November’s midterms in this battleground state. The district includes part of Saginaw County, the only Michigan county to back the winning presidential candidate in each of the past five national elections.
“It’s really this microcosm of the Midwest, frankly,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of the seat she left upon entering Congress. “Given how much it resembles so many other places across the country, we have to look at it and say, this is an indicator of how things are going to go in November.”
Greene is a fire captain and Marine veteran who campaigned on lowering costs while emphasizing his union backing. Tunney, a former prosecutor, has run as a conservative Republican, highlighting his local roots in Saginaw.
Republicans also have made the timing of the special election a central issue, arguing Whitmer, a Democrat, waited too long to call it — leaving the district without representation in the state Senate for nearly 500 days.
A victory by Greene would keep Democrats in the majority. If Tunney wins, the Senate would be tied, making it tougher for Democrats to advance their agenda. While Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II would serve as the tiebreaking vote, Republicans could effectively block any measure from passing by not having all members vote. The Michigan House is controlled by Republicans.
The term at play in Tuesday’s special election is only through the end of the year, meaning the seat will again be up for reelection in November. Nonetheless, the race is being watched as a test of voter sentiment ahead of the midterm elections, when Democrats are looking to regain power in Congress.
John Hall, a 69-year-old self-described independent, said Tuesday that he had voted for Greene in the race and that the economy is a key issue for him. He said he spent $58 at the gas station before driving to the public library in Bay City to vote.
“It’s taking a bite out of a lot of people’s budgets right now,” Hall said, adding it would have cost between $35 and $40 to fill up his car’s tank two months ago.
Some strategists caution against overinterpreting the results, noting heavy Democratic spending and high-profile visits by such figures as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee said in February that the special election would “set the tone for midterms" while announcing a $250,000 investment to help Michigan Democrats retain their Senate majority in May and November.
“This is a tough race to win in any environment, but they’ve stacked the deck with the spending. And you layer the overall political environment on top of it, it’s going to be tough,” said Jason Roe, a Republican strategist in the state.
Although Republican Donald Trump carried all three counties in the 2024 presidential race, the portions of the counties that fall within District 35 are more competitive. McDonald Rivet won the seat in 2022 with 53% of the vote. Democrat Kamala Harris barely edged Trump in the district in 2024, 49.7% to 48.9%, on the strength of her 17-percentage-point lead in the Saginaw portion of the district.
Once a hub of the auto industry, the region includes a large share of union-affiliated voters and a sizable Black population, surrounded by more conservative rural areas.
Cory Smidt, interim director at Michigan State University’s Institute of Public Policy and Social Research, said the district “looks like the state as a whole.” Though he cautioned against viewing the outcome as a clear signal for the midterms, he said turnout and voting patterns among different groups could offer valuable insights.
Associated Press reporter Robert Yoon contributed from Washington.
Jason Tunney, Republican candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks with supporters at Otherside Bar and Grill Monday, April 27, 2026, in Freeland, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chedrick Greene, Democratic candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks at a rally Monday, April 27, 2026, in Saginaw, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Jason Tunney, Republican candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks at Otherside Bar and Grill Monday, April 27, 2026, in Freeland, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chedrick Greene, Democratic candidate for the 35th Senate District, speaks at a rally Monday, April 27, 2026, in Saginaw, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
