UNITED NATIONS: Bahrain and the United States have distributed a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for Iran to cease attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the two countries’ ambassadors.

The text is supported by Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran dismisses the draft as “one-sided”, and there are no indications when it will be brought to a vote.

The development comes a day after the Security Council met in closed session following Monday’s missile and drone attacks on the UAE, which the Iranian military categorically denied carrying out.

“The Strait of Hormuz is critical not only to the stability and the prosperity of the Gulf region, but also to the global economy,” Bahraini Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei told reporters.

Recent developments underscore the importance of keeping the waterway secure and open, demonstrating the need for collective action, he said. The text builds on Resolution 2817, which condemned attacks by Iran against seven neighbouring countries.

The draft calls for Iran to immediately cease all attacks and threats against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. It also addresses the placement of mines, illegal tolling and efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor.

US Ambassador Mike Waltz underscored that freedom of navigation for the global economy is at stake — nothing less than a cornerstone of worldwide stability and commerce.

He warned that those who abuse it are setting a dangerous precedent to doom global trade.

Waltz said the resolution requires Iran to do simple things. However, he noted Tehran’s announcement of the Persian Gulf Straits Authority, which requires international ship captains to pay a toll when transiting the waterway.

“So that doesn’t just affect this region. It affects the entire world,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

After the budget
Updated 26 Jun, 2026

After the budget

Though not a bad document per se, the budget for FY27 is a familiar one, and familiarity in our economic history is rarely cause for comfort.
Missing the mark
Updated 27 Jun, 2026

Missing the mark

Pakistan cannot rely on international partners to compensate for weak governance and inconsistent implementation at home.
Up in smoke
26 Jun, 2026

Up in smoke

PAKISTAN is watching an epidemic unfold as the menace of narcotic abuse hits every fourth household in Karachi ...
Reflection time
Updated 25 Jun, 2026

Reflection time

Israel is the biggest source of instability in the Middle East, and it is high time the US ended its blind support to Tel Aviv, if it genuinely wants peace in the region.
Raised temperatures
25 Jun, 2026

Raised temperatures

THE fraught situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir requires immense patience and cool heads. Temperatures are raised on...
Debatable remedy
25 Jun, 2026

Debatable remedy

THE Pakistan Psychiatric Society’s challenge to the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling on attempted suicide deserves...