France, China, and Russia oppose a draft UN Security Council resolution that would allow for the possible use of force to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The initiative was prepared by Bahrain with the backing of Gulf states. The vote is scheduled for Friday, though the positions of several key countries remain uncertain.
As diplomats and UN officials note, Paris, Moscow, and Beijing object to wording that leaves room for a military scenario. The central point of contention is a clause allowing “all necessary means” to be used to guarantee passage through the strait.
The dispute has involved not only the permanent members of the Security Council, which hold veto power, but also its non-permanent members. The document has already been revised several times and is now in its fourth version.