The voting on the resolution has been postponed from Friday. Image Credit: UN

The UAE has backed a Bahrain-led proposal at the UN Security Council that would allow “defensive measures” to ensure safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Bahrain, supported by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Jordan, has tabled a draft resolution reaffirming that the Strait must remain open to international navigation and cannot be closed or controlled by any single state, the UAE Mission to the UN said in a social media post on Thursday.

The proposal authorises UN member states to take “exclusively defensive measures” to protect vessels and deter any actions that could disrupt transit passage, while requiring full compliance with international law and humanitarian obligations.

It also aims to establish a legal framework for coordinated international efforts to safeguard shipping, potentially enabling naval deployments to maintain open sea lanes through the critical chokepoint.

To ensure transparency, states acting under the mandate would be required to notify and report their actions to the UN.

The draft further calls for a UN-led monitoring mechanism, with the Secretary-General tasked with providing monthly updates to the Security Council.

An earlier Bahraini proposal called for 'all necessary measures', but the current draft appears to be a watered-down version, likely to avoid vetoes from Russia and China.

A vote at the UN Security Council is expected, where the resolution will require at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members - the US, Russia, China, Britain and France- to be adopted.

The voting on the resolution scheduled for Friday has been postponed, as per a social media post by the UN on Friday. 

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with the Strait of Hormuz handling around 20% of global oil flows, making any disruption a major concern for energy and shipping markets.