UN – France Mulls New Resolution on the Strait of Hormuz

France has begun drafting a United Nations Security Council resolution, in coordination with the United States of America, to create an international mission that would restore the free movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Paris has tried before, unsuccessfully, to craft a resolution on this issue.

The latest initiative follows a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“Several options were discussed,” Macron said after the meeting with the U.S. president at Trump Tower in New York.

“We will work on diplomatic solutions in the coming hours which could make it possible, even without an all-encompassing agreement, to find ways to allow more cargo ships and oil tankers to pass,” he said.

Diplomats said Paris hopes to circulate a draft resolution to Security Council members soon, though they gave no exact deadline.

Previous UN efforts have failed to secure the backing of China and Russia, two veto-wielding powers, over concerns the initiative could be one-sided against Tehran.

However, rising oil prices on global markets and fears that a Houthi advance in Yemen could threaten the strategic Bab el-Mandeb corridor have raised hopes of a compromise this time.

According to diplomats, the resolution would focus on decoupling the waterway’s security from broader tensions with Iran.

It would also emphasize the shared interests of all countries in preserving freedom of navigation and access to energy supplies.

UN member states would coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, without taking an offensive stance toward Iran, criticizing the United States, or linking the issue to other regional disputes, the diplomats said.

“France wants to work with the Americans and its partners on a Security Council resolution that guarantees freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” a French diplomatic source said.