Bahrain Waters Down UN Proposal On Opening Hormuz Strait By Force

Bahrain has significantly watered down a proposed UN resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid opposition from China and Russia about allowing countries to use force to secure the critical waterway Iran has largely cut off to global shipping. The final draft of the proposal, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, authorizes defensive – but not offensive – action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait. One-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the waterway, where Iran’s stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring. Bahrain’s initial draft would have allowed countries “to use all necessary…