Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning Iranian attacks on several Middle Eastern countries, as global tensions deepen amid the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.
The resolution passed with the support of 13 members of the council, while Russia and China abstained from the vote. No country voted against the measure.
The draft resolution was introduced by Bahrain on behalf of Gulf states and Jordan, and was co-sponsored by 135 member states of the United Nations, reflecting broad international backing for the measure.
The resolution strongly condemned what it described as Iranian attacks against several countries in the region and demanded their immediate cessation. It also reaffirmed support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Council members also condemned attacks targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure, calling for an immediate halt to all military actions launched by Iran against neighboring states. The text further demanded that Tehran cease any provocations or threats toward regional countries, including the use of proxy forces.
A key provision of the resolution addressed growing concerns over maritime security in vital global shipping lanes. The Security Council stressed that the rights and freedoms of navigation for commercial vessels must be respected under international law, particularly along critical maritime routes.
The resolution specifically condemned threats by Iran to close or disrupt navigation through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and warned against any actions that could undermine maritime security in the Bab el-Mandeb.
The vote came as regional tensions intensified following remarks by Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who earlier called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that Iran would keep targeting American military bases in the Middle East.
Khamenei assumed power on March 9 after the killing of his father, former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli airstrikes that began in late February. In his first public statements since taking office, he said Iran would continue retaliatory attacks against what he described as enemy forces and warned that Tehran would seek compensation for war damage or destroy equivalent assets belonging to its adversaries.
The escalating confrontation has also driven oil prices sharply higher as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors has been severely disrupted.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has defended the ongoing military campaign against Iran, arguing that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons is more important than the economic consequences of rising energy prices.
In remarks posted on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the United States, as the world’s largest oil producer, could benefit financially from higher global energy prices but emphasized that his administration’s priority remains stopping what he called Iran’s “empire of evil.”
“When oil prices rise, we make a lot of money,” Trump wrote. “But what matters most is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and destroying the Middle East and the world.”
At the same time, US officials acknowledged the growing risks to international shipping in the region. Chris Wright said the United States is not yet ready to provide naval escorts for commercial oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz, though preparations are underway.
Speaking to CNBC, Wright explained that US military resources are currently focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the industrial infrastructure that supports them.
During the same Security Council session, a separate draft resolution introduced by Russia addressing the broader escalation in the Middle East failed to pass. The proposal received support from only four council members, while two voted against it and nine abstained.
Diplomats say the competing resolutions illustrate the deep geopolitical divisions within the Security Council over the rapidly expanding conflict, even as most members agree that the escalating confrontation now threatens regional stability and global energy markets.
