Will the world focus on Iran’s threat to the US or the UNSC resolution the US is seeking? Will Iran voluntarily relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran has issued a terse statement to its enemies, the US and Israel: Pay for the damage you caused us! Alternatively, we seize or destroy your assets.
Iran’s two enemies at present are the US and Israel. They are the two countries that launched attacks on Iran unprovoked on February 28th.
Today, Iran announced its resolve to demand reparations from its enemies. The war in Iran has destroyed a lot of the country’s infrastructure. It has destroyed oil depots and refineries, military and civilian infrastructure, and a lot more. In some cases, it has destroyed learning institutions.
Worse still, the war has led to thousands of deaths. In addition to military deaths, civilians have also died from direct missile strikes.
US Now Seeking UNSC Intervention
Meanwhile, the US, through Mike Waltz, its ambassador to the UN, has presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The US presented that resolution with the backing of the Gulf states, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
In the draft, the US wants Iran to:
- stop charging fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz
- stop attacking all vessels using the Strait of Hormuz
- stop laying mines along the Strait of Hormuz
Will the UNSC Pass the Resolution?
There is not much optimism that the UNSC will pass the proposed draft resolution. The reason is the same as why the April resolution failed: Russia and China used their veto power to oppose it.
China and Russia may find it difficult to believe the US has presented the proposal in good faith. This is considering that the US has recently increased its military presence near the Hormuz waterway.
At the same time, the two countries, and especially China, may find the US hypocritical. The US has deployed its military to obstruct the free passage of ships in the high seas, yet it is demanding that Iran allow free passage. China has been a victim of the US blockade.
The Danger Awaiting the Gulf States
It is apparent that the Gulf states may have lost more than the US from the war in Iran. US soldiers have died from Iranian strikes, aircraft accidents, and other war-related incidents. Unfortunately, the Gulf states, which have not attacked Iran, have also lost lives in the war.
Also, whereas the US has suffered destruction of military assets in the region, the Gulf states have lost civilian infrastructure, oil refineries and depots, and a lot more.
More serious is the fact that Iran is likely to pursue any remaining US assets in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and all the other US allies in the region. In today’s threat from Iran, it is apparent that Iran is not restricting its scope geographically.
The world can only hope that the parties involved – the US, Israel, and Iran – can find a way of settling the ongoing conflict during the current ceasefire period. The world is also anxious about the possibility that the conflict will simmer long after the military attacks have ceased.