US and Allies Condemn Iran's Strait of Hormuz Blockade

The United Nations Security Council convened a session initiated by Bahrain to address a maritime crisis after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian blockade, and a subsequent retaliatory blockade by the United States, triggered global price surges for oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizer. While 136 UN member states supported a resolution to end the blockade, Russia and China vetoed the measure, with Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia attributing the crisis to unprovoked aggression by the U.S. and Israel.

During the session, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz accused Iran of violating international law and acting as international criminal pirates by planting mines in global waterways. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added that a lasting solution requires the Iranian regime to make major concessions and shift its stance, though he also criticized the U.S. and Israel for starting the war without defined goals or legal basis. Bahraini Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani emphasized that freedom of navigation is a cornerstone of international peace.

Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected the accusations, demanding credible guarantees against future attacks and claiming the U.S. acts like pirates and terrorists by targeting commercial vessels. Further complaints reached the council from Liberia and Panama, which reported that Iran had seized or damaged merchant ships and detained their crews.