Middle East Conflict — 2026-04-08

Russia and China Veto UN Security Council Resolution on Strait of Hormuz Hours Before Trump Deadline

Russia and China vetoed a Bahrain-sponsored UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with 11 members voting in favor and Colombia and Pakistan abstaining. Russia argued the resolution presented Iranian actions as the sole source of tension while ignoring US and Israeli attacks. China said the draft failed to capture the root causes of the conflict. The veto came hours before Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil typically transits.

Analysis
The veto aligns Russia and China against the US on a maritime freedom-of-navigation issue where both typically support open sea lanes, a departure driven by their broader alignment with Iran against US military action. Pakistan's abstention stands out given its simultaneous role as ceasefire mediator, suggesting Islamabad is calibrating its position between the US and the Russia-China-Iran axis.
3 sources
  1. Security Council: Russia and China veto resolution on Strait of Hormuz - UN News
  2. Russia and China block UN resolution on Strait of Hormuz - Al Jazeera
  3. China, Russia veto scaled-back Hormuz resolution at UN Security Council - Al-Monitor

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