Gulf Arab nations draft new UN resolution on Hormuz

The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a U.N. Security Council ​resolution designed to condemn Iran for blocking ‌the Strait of Hormuz in response to a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said ​on Monday.

Waltz said negotiations will take place ​this week on the resolution, which comes after ⁠permanent Security Council members Russia and China blocked ​a resolution last month that Washington hoped would ​galvanize international efforts to restore freedom of navigation of the waterway.

KEY DETAILS

• The U.S. is co-drafting the new resolution with Bahrain ​with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab ​Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Waltz told reporters on a briefing ‌call.

• The ⁠resolution is expected to require Iran to cease attacks on merchant shipping and attempts to impose tolls on shipping in the strait, and it will ​demand Iran ​stop placing ⁠sea mines and disclose the locations of mines.

• Waltz says draft resolution is a "narrower ​effort" than the previous failed resolution and ​comes ⁠while a ceasefire is in place with Iran. "This is much more focused on mining international waterways and ⁠on ​tolling, which all of the ​economies of the world are affected by, particularly those in Asia," ​he said.

-Reuters