Bahrain-backed text authorizes defensive measures amid tensions with Iran.

The United Nations Security Council delayed a vote on a Bahrain-proposed resolution that would allow member states to use defensive force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

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The 15-member Council had initially planned to vote Friday morning, but the session was moved at the last minute on Thursday. Diplomatic sources said the official reason cited Good Friday as a holiday, although the date had been known well in advance.

Bahrain’s UN ambassador, Jamal Al-Ruwaie, warned that “the continuation of this situation constitutes a strangulation of our economies and terrorism against our countries and, indeed, against the world.” He added that the resolution, which has been revised multiple times and has U.S. backing, “comes at a delicate and critical moment.”

The sixth draft of the resolution would permit member states, either individually or through voluntary multinational maritime partnerships, to implement “all necessary and proportionate defensive measures” to safeguard vessels in the strait and nearby waters. Its goal is to secure transit and deter any attempts to close, obstruct, or otherwise interfere with international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The proposed measures are set to last at least six months, but the resolution has not reached consensus. China cautioned that allowing member states to “use all necessary measures under current circumstances… would lead to further escalation,” while Russia described the text as “partial.”

The postponement underscores divisions within the Security Council and highlights international concern over a possible escalation in one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors.

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