NEW YORK — The United Nations General Assembly gathered on Thursday for an emergency debate after China and Russia vetoed a draft resolution addressing the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, according to Anadolu. The session quickly revealed deep divisions among member states over how to resolve the growing crisis.
UNGA President Annalena Baerbock urged delegates to break the gridlock created in the Security Council. “The world cannot accept paralysis when free navigation and global stability are at stake,” she said, warning that the conflict was “not a single crisis, but the convergence of many unresolved tensions from Iran’s nuclear concerns to Israel’s military actions.”
Russia’s deputy envoy Anna Evstigneeva defended Moscow’s veto, arguing the proposed resolution could have authorized new military operations disguised as “protective measures.” She said it would have served as “a carte blanche for aggression and escalation,” while highlighting that Russia and China had submitted a more balanced alternative aimed at encouraging negotiation.
China’s ambassador Fu Cong echoed that sentiment, insisting the UN must not lend “a veneer of legitimacy to unauthorized actions or the use of force.”
Across the chamber, the United States sharply criticized both vetoes. US envoy Mike Waltz accused Moscow and Beijing of shielding “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” referring to Iran. He vowed that Washington would ensure that “food aid, fertilizer, and energy can once again pass freely through this vital waterway, without mines, threats, or extortion.”
EU delegate Stavros Lambrinidis warned that the blockade was already reshaping global trade, with fertilizer prices up as much as 35% in Latin America and the Caribbean and urea prices rising 50% worldwide. “This disruption could push 45 million more people into severe hunger,” he said, comparing the crisis to Russia’s naval blockade of the Black Sea during the war in Ukraine.
Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani fired back, calling the US-led maritime blockade “a clear act of aggression” that violated international law. He defended China and Russia’s decisions, accusing the US of creating the crisis through excessive military force.
Iravani insisted that Iran’s actions were lawful and intended to protect navigation in the Strait. Despite deep mistrust, he expressed cautious optimism that ongoing negotiations might yield progress “if the United States approaches diplomacy rationally and respects international law.”
He ended his remarks by rejecting what he called “biased and politically motivated accusations,” urging the UN to remain impartial as the world waits for the next move in a conflict that could reshape global security and trade.
