Middle East Crisis: Closed Consultations*
Tomorrow morning (6 May), Security Council members will hold closed consultations under “The situation in the Middle East” agenda item.* Bahrain requested the meeting in light of Iran’s 4 May attacks against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), describing them as serious threats to international peace and security, critical infrastructure, maritime security, and regional stability. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is expected to brief.
Tensions in the Middle East remain high against the backdrop of the war that began with the 28 February US-Israeli strikes against Iranian targets, which marked a significant escalation in an already volatile regional context. Iran subsequently carried out retaliatory attacks against Israel and several countries in the Gulf hosting US military bases, raising concerns about the widening geographic scope of the confrontation. Since then, several Gulf countries have faced sustained Iranian attacks targeting vessels, port infrastructure, and energy assets, which have disrupted maritime trade and energy flows and contributed to broader regional economic and supply chain instability.
Attacks on the UAE on 4 May represent the latest escalation in the conflict. The UAE said that it had intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran targeting its territory. According to Emirati authorities, air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic and three cruise missiles, as well as multiple drones. Media reports indicate that the Fujairah Petroleum Industry Zone was hit, causing a fire at the oil facility and injuring three Indian nationals.
The UAE also accused Iran of launching two drones targeting the M.V. Barakah, a tanker affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which was reportedly empty at the time. No injuries were reported in the incident. In a statement yesterday, the UAE condemned the recent attacks, noting that it reserves the “full and legitimate right to respond to these unprovoked attacks”.
Since the onset of hostilities in late February, there has been a marked escalation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which around 20 percent of global oil consumption and approximately one-quarter of globally traded maritime oil transits occur. This escalation has led to the use of blockade tactics by Iran and the US, with the number of vessels transiting the Strait declining significantly since late February amid heightened risks, driving up insurance costs and contributing to a surge in global oil prices. Some reports indicate that approximately 1,600 vessels have been unable to transit through the Strait, leaving thousands of seafarers stranded. Repeated attacks on merchant vessels, commercial shipping, and port infrastructure in littoral states have further heightened instability, with implications for global energy and trade flows extending well beyond the region.
Iran, for its part, has continued to attack commercial shipping and impose restrictions on the passage of international vessels, allowing transit only to vessels authorised by its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), amid reports that naval mines have been laid in the Strait. Meanwhile, following the breakdown of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, the US has been enforcing a naval blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports since 13 April, including by intercepting and, in some cases, seizing vessels linked to Iran near the Strait and redirecting ships carrying cargo to or from Iranian ports. US naval operations against Iranian assets reportedly have not been limited to the Strait but have extended beyond, including in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
In recent days, the US has stepped up its military response in the maritime domain in the region. In a 3 May social media post, US President Donald Trump announced that the US would guide ships safely out of restricted waterways under what he described as “Project Freedom”, which began on 4 May. In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) characterised the operation as a “defensive mission”, noting that US military action includes guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and approximately 15,000 service members. CENTCOM later confirmed that two US-flagged merchant vessels had transited the waterway. Iran, for its part, reportedly alleged that it had struck a US naval vessel with missiles, a claim denied by the US, which said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats.
The 4 May attacks mark the first time that the UAE has been targeted since Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire on 8 April. These developments underscore a significant escalation and have raised concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire and the risk of further regional destabilisation.
The ceasefire was intended to provide a temporary pause in hostilities and create space for negotiations toward a longer-term arrangement. In this context, senior US and Iranian officials met in Islamabad on 11 and 12 April for high-level talks, which ended without agreement, with both sides citing significant differences, including over Iran’s nuclear programme and conditions related to maritime access in the Strait of Hormuz. After those talks failed to achieve a breakthrough, Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire on 21 April to allow more time for negotiations. Since then, negotiations appear to have stalled, with both sides unable to agree on terms for resuming talks and rejecting additional consultations in Pakistan. Furthermore, the US and Iran have taken steps that have further complicated the diplomatic track, including continued military activity and measures affecting maritime navigation. (For more information, see our 6 and 24 April What’s in Blue stories.)
The latest Iranian attacks against the UAE have drawn widespread international condemnation. In the Council, members have expressed concern about the escalating regional situation, the unacceptability of attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, and the urgent need for de-escalation. At tomorrow’s meeting, members are likely to reiterate these messages, with some expected to condemn the latest attacks. Several members may also warn that these developments represent a dangerous escalation and risk undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts. Some members are also likely to call for the implementation of resolution 2817 of 11 March, which condemned Iran’s strikes against Gulf countries and demanded that it immediately halt such attacks and fully comply with its obligations under international law. At the same time, different assessment of the underlying drivers of the conflict and ways of addressing it are likely to be on display. For instance, members such as China and Russia have accused the US and Israel for initiating the conflict by attacking Iran, while other members have largely blamed Iran for attacking its neighbours and the dire effects of its actions on the global economy.
Efforts to address the crisis have continued in the Council. In late March, Bahrain proposed a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz crisis, in close coordination with several other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE—as well as Jordan. However, the draft text failed to be adopted due to vetoes cast by China and Russia; 11 other Council members voted in favour of the draft, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained. China and Russia jointly proposed an alternative draft resolution, which broadly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to refrain from further escalation in the Middle East and beyond. They announced that the draft had been put in blue on 7 April; however, at the time of writing, the Council had yet to vote on the text.
Bahrain had apparently also sought to introduce another draft resolution in April focused on the protection of rights and freedoms related to navigation, including transit passage and innocent passage through straits used for international navigation. However, it appears that the initiative did not garner broad support and the draft was not formally circulated among all Council members.
In a press release issued earlier today (5 May), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US and Bahrain had co-penned a draft resolution, with support from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, aimed at “defend[ing] freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”. According to Rubio, the draft resolution “requires Iran to cease attacks, mining, and tolling”. He added that the text further “demands that Iran disclose the number and location of the sea mines it has laid and cooperate with efforts to remove them”, while also supporting the establishment of a humanitarian corridor. It appears that the draft resolution was circulated to all Council members yesterday, with a first round of negotiations held earlier this afternoon.
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**Post-script: An earlier version of this story indicated that the consultations will be held under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item. The story was amended to reflect that it took place under “The situation in the Middle East” agenda item.