Russia, China veto watered down U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz that had been repeatedly watered down in hopes those two countries would abstain.

The vote – 11 in favor, two against and two abstentions – took place just hours before an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline set by President Trump for Iran to reopen the strategic waterway or face the destruction of its power plants and bridges. 

It's doubtful the resolution, even if it had been adopted, would have impacted the war because it was significantly weakened to try to get Russia and China to abstain rather than veto it.

The initial proposal from Bahrain would have authorized countries to use "all necessary means" – U.N. wording that would include military action – to ensure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and deter attempts to close it.

After Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries on the 15-member Security Council, expressed opposition to approving the use of force, the resolution was revised to eliminate all references to offensive action. It would have authorized only "all defensive means necessary."  

But the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization – which is an order for action -- and to limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz. Previous drafts had included adjacent waters.

The resolution vetoed Tuesday only "strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz."

The resolution also demanded that Iran immediately halt attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and stop impeding their freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian infrastructure.