'Not regional dispute but global emergency': UAE backs Bahrain call for UN action on Hormuz

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The UAE has joined Bahrain in calling for UN Security Council action on the Strait of Hormuz, backing Manama’s leadership on the issue.

The UAE mission to the UN voiced strong support for Bahrain, echoing Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani’s warning that the situation is 'no longer a regional issue, but a direct threat to global stability, food and energy security, and international law'.

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It stressed that each day without action brings the world closer to a wider crisis, with countries in the Global South 'facing the gravest consequences'.

Bahrain’s foreign minister urged urgent international action on the matter of the Strait of hormuz, warning that the escalating crisis could trigger serious humanitarian and economic consequences.

He said that what began as Iranian threats to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz has escalated into a global concern. 

He stressed that the scale of the risks prompted Bahrain to submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, describing the situation as 'not a regional dispute but a global emergency requiring a comprehensive international response.'

Since February 28, oil tanker traffic through the strait has fallen by more than 90%, with impacts reaching far beyond energy markets and shipping routes to global food supplies, including worsening fertiliser shortages and increasing risks of hunger.

The Security Council had already underscored the gravity of the situation by adopting Resolution 2817, backed by a record number of 136 co-sponsors, sending a clear signal that Iran’s actions violate international law and must cease. However, with Iran yet to comply, further action by the Council has become inevitable.

Al Zayani He stressed that closing the Strait does not target a specific country but rather poses a direct threat to nations of the Global South, which will bear the greatest burden of its consequences.

He called for immediate action, warning that continued disruption to shipping is delaying vital supplies of energy, food, medicine, and fertilisers.

He said the draft resolution sets out a coordinated, law-based response aimed to ensure cooperation in addressing Iran’s violations and threats to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

He added it is not meant to escalate tensions but to protect freedom of navigation, deter further attacks, and prevent wider disruption while upholding international law.

He warned that inaction would signal that critical trade routes can be threatened without consequence, noting that the Security Council has held extensive consultations to reach a decision reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Urging the Security Council to adopt the draft, he said its credibility depends on its 'willingness to act when the international legal order is openly challenged'.