France drafting UN Security Council resolution on Hormuz

France is preparing a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would establish an international mission to restore the flow of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative is being coordinated with the United States following a discussion between French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

According to diplomatic sources, the draft resolution is expected to be circulated to Security Council members in the coming hours, although no specific timetable has been provided. The proposal seeks to address the recent surge in oil prices and the risk that advances by Houthi rebels in Yemen could jeopardise the adjacent Bab el‑Mandeb corridor, a key maritime route.

Previous attempts by France to secure a Security Council resolution on Hormuz have been blocked by vetoes from China and Russia, which have expressed concerns that such measures could be perceived as biased against Iran. The current effort aims to find a compromise that would gain broader support among the council’s permanent members.

Macron indicated that several options were discussed during his meeting with Trump at Trump Tower in New York, emphasizing a focus on diplomatic solutions that could allow more container ships and oil tankers to transit the strait even without a comprehensive agreement. He added that the French government would continue working on these diplomatic avenues over the next few hours.

Diplomats said the draft resolution would centre on separating the security of the waterway from broader geopolitical disputes, though full details of the text have not been released. The move reflects heightened international concern over the stability of critical maritime chokepoints amid rising energy prices and regional tensions.