The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Thursday called for the UN Security Council to authorise the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
Iran has placed a stranglehold on the key shipping lane – threatening fuel supplies and buckling the global economy – in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on the country that triggered the month-old Middle East war. “Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the Strait,” said Jassem al-Budaiwi, head of the GCC.
He spoke in New York at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
“We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” al-Budaiwi said.
Bahrain has proposed a draft resolution that would greenlight states to use “all necessary measures” to ensure free transit through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the measure has divided the 15-member Security Council.
According to diplomatic sources, Russia, China and France – who each hold veto privileges – have voiced strong objections despite several modifications to the text.
“We want a Security Council decision that addresses the situation comprehensively with the root causes, and not one-sided and unbalanced,” Anna Evstigneeva, deputy representative of Russia, said on Wednesday.
Around 40 countries are discussing joint action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Britain said on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said securing the waterway was a problem for other nations to resolve.
British foreign minister Yvette Cooper chaired the virtual meeting, which included France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and India and began around midday in London.
“We are focusing on the diplomatic and international planning measures, including collective mobilisation of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools and pressures,” Cooper said at the start of the meeting.
The United States did not attend the talks, one official said. The discussions, involving representatives of some 40 countries, took place after Trump said on Wednesday evening that the Strait could open “naturally” and it was the responsibility of countries that rely on the waterway to ensure it was open.
Iran has effectively shut down the key waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes which began in late February. Reopening it has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar.
European countries initially refused Trump’s demand to send their navies to the area because of fears about being dragged into the conflict.
But concerns about the impact of the rising cost of energy on the global economy have prompted them to try to form a coalition to see how they can defend their own interests.
European diplomats said putting the coalition together was at an early stage, with Britain and France leading.
Officials said the discussions on Thursday would focus on which countries were prepared to participate before military planners meet for talks next week.
France’s Armed Forces spokesperson Guillaume Vernet told a news conference on Thursday that the process would be multi-phased and could not happen until hostilities had calmed or ended.
A key focus of the talks would be how to ensure shipowners could feel confident enough for vessels to resume travelling through the area and to bring down insurance premiums.
There would also eventually need to be coordination with Iran to ensure that there will be security guarantees for ships, Vernet said, something that is unlikely for now. Talks had also started on what military assets could be provided, he said.
“We will need to assemble a sufficient number of vessels and have coordination capabilities in the air, at sea, as well as the ability to share intelligence,” he said.