The UN Security Council on Wednesday approved a resolution submitted by Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf states, condemning Iran’s attacks against countries in the region.
The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions—Russia and China, both of which hold veto power. The council determined that Iran’s strikes against regional states constitute a violation of international law and a threat to international peace and security, and called for the immediate cessation of attacks and threats from Tehran.
Iranian attack in Iraq
In an unusual move, Russia—one of Iran’s main allies—chose not to use its veto, effectively leaving Iran diplomatically isolated. The resolution was also backed by 135 UN member states that condemned Iran’s attacks against the Gulf countries. Moscow was reportedly aware that using its veto could have further isolated it internationally.
At the same time, a separate Russian proposal failed to pass. Only four countries voted in favor, two voted against, and nine abstained. Following the vote, the Russian ambassador confronted his U.S. counterpart.
The Russian proposal called for reaffirming the principles and goals of the UN Charter, urging all sides to immediately halt military activity, avoid further escalation in the Middle East, and return to negotiations without delay.
Earlier, the Security Council also held a discussion on the situation in Lebanon, where several participants took a firm line against Hezbollah, repeatedly placing responsibility for the latest escalation on the group. Some representatives argued that Hezbollah had initiated the current round of violence, undermined Lebanon’s sovereignty and dragged the country into a conflict that does not serve its institutions or its citizens in what appeared to be a relatively rare international consensus against the terror group.
By contrast, Russia and China presented a different stance, placing most of the blame on Israel and the United States. The Russian representative said that “our Western partners are trying to turn things around and distort reality,” accusing Israel of violating ceasefire agreements, carrying out extensive strikes in Lebanon and targeting civilian sites.
China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Cong, also refrained from condemning Hezbollah. He called for an immediate ceasefire and said Israel should immediately withdraw from Lebanon.