48-hour ultimatum to open Strait of Hormuz expires

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted to open the strategic waterway before Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz expired. The resolution brought by Bahrain to open the Strait of Hormuz failed to pass due to Russia and China's veto. Notably, Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the 15-member Security Council, which considers itself a friend of the Gulf countries, abstained from the voting process. Gulf countries expressed disappointment that the resolution failed, and all Gulf countries, including Bahrain, have lashed out at China and Russia. Bahrain said in strong words that the United Nations Security Council has failed to fulfill its responsibility. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani read a joint statement by Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan in the Security Council, in which all these countries expressed deep regret over the failure of the resolution. 'Major action was needed' Al Zayani said, 'These countries express their regret that the resolution presented to you today could not be passed. The Council has failed to fulfill its responsibility in the matter of an illegal activity. Major action was needed without any delay to open Hormuz.' He further added, 'We had hoped that this draft would prove to be a major step towards a permanent solution. It would have ensured the free movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but it did not happen. Hormuz is a national waterway and no country has the right to block it according to international law.' China-Russia opposition and Pakistan's stance The proposal brought by Bahrain was already weakened due to China's initial opposition. Russia also opposed it. On the other hand, Pakistan and Colombia abstained from voting. However, the proposal received the support of 11 countries. According to the news agency Reuters, the initial draft of the proposal mentioned the permission to use force to open Hormuz. But the permission to use force was removed from the revised proposal presented later.