China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday urging states to coordinate efforts protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it biased against Iran. The 15-member council vote was 11 in favor, two against from China and Russia, and two abstentions. US officials condemned the vetoes amid escalating tensions with Iran.
On April 7, 2026, at UN headquarters in New York, Bahrain presented a resolution encouraging states to coordinate defensive efforts ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The measure failed due to vetoes by China and Russia.
China's UN envoy Fu Cong stated that adopting the draft amid US threats to a civilization's survival would send the wrong message. US UN ambassador Mike Waltz condemned the vetoes as 'a new low,' noting Iran's strait closure blocks medical aid to crises in Congo, Sudan, and Gaza.
"No one should tolerate that. They are holding the global economy at gunpoint," Waltz said, urging responsible nations to join the US in securing the waterway for lawful commerce and humanitarian goods.
Russia and China proposed an alternative resolution calling for de-escalation and diplomacy in the Middle East. Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani praised the vetoes, saying they prevented the Security Council from legitimizing aggression. UN envoy Jean Arnault is heading to Tehran for consultations.
