Gulf Nations Back Un Resolution Authorizing All Necessary Measures To

Alistair Lowe

-Apr 6, 2026, 1:08 AM

gulf nations back un resolution authorizing all necessary measures to

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will soon wrap up its operations in the Middle East, suggesting European and other allies must take the lead in dealing with much of the aftermath. Across Europe, leaders and officials are rushing to figure out how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil shipping corridor that has been effectively blockaded by Iran since the joint U.S.-Israeli operations began Feb. 28. The halt in fuel shipping has sent gas prices surging around the globe — including in the U.S.

— and sparked worries about broader economic impacts. Trump on Wednesday told the American people that operations in Iran were almost complete. But he also made it clear that he thinks the U.S. is under no obligation to secure the strait for other nations, which he said rely on it more than the United States “We will be helpful,” Trump said in his primetime address.

“But they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on.” A coalition of at least 35 nations was set to gather virtually on Thursday — without the U.S. — to explore ways to reopen the strait. The talks, hosted by Britain, included France, Germany, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.

The coalition last month issued a letter expressing a readiness to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.” The nations planned to look at “all viable diplomatic and political measures,” to restore the freedom of navigation after a ceasefire had been reached, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said prior to the meeting. Meanwhile, some nations are pushing for a resolution in the U.N. Security Council that would allow them to open the strait through military force. Bahrain, a critical Gulf ally that hosts U.S.

Naval Forces Central Command, drafted a resolution last month that would have authorized the use of “all means necessary” to reopen the waterway, according to Reuters. The draft resolution, however, was likely to run into pushback this week from Iran’s Russian and Chinese allies on the Security Council, Reuters reported. The United Arab Emirates has also been lobbying for such an order, according to The Wall Street Journal. Iran has allowed some ships to pass through the strait, but the majority of tankers remain blocked.

Any operation to deploy a navy escort for vessels would likely be dangerous, considering Iran’s arsenal of short-range missiles and one-way attack drones. Since the start of the war, the United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations Center has received 26 reports of incidents affecting boats around the Persian Gulf, the strait and the Gulf Oman. Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and expert in U.S. defense policy, said European countries are likely to pursue diplomacy first, with any action coming after a ceasefire takes effect.

At that point, the coalition could move to clear any mines and establish some kind of escort arrangement, she said. Iran has indicated that it wants any ceasefire agreement to include a recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway. While Trump has called for the strait to be free and open, that could include a range of conditions. “It’s really unclear what ‘free and open’ will mean,” Grieco said.

“I think this is what is going to end up being negotiated, possibly part of any ceasefire agreement, but also as part of whatever coalition gets together, separate from the United States, to negotiate with Iran.” Trump this week said much of Iran’s weapons and navy vessels have been destroyed, and that other nations should be able to enter the strait. “The U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” he wrote on Truth Social Monday. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated.

The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” Since the conflict began, European nations have declined to involve their militaries and, in some cases, rejected requests from the U.S. and Israel to use their territory or airspace for war operations. The response has elicited harsh criticisms from Trump, who this week went so far as to suggest the U.S. would withdraw from NATO because of the alliance’s refusal to join the war. But even as they reject external pressure from Trump, domestic pressures on allies have grown.

Many nations are reporting higher gas prices and jet fuel costs. Starmer, in a letter to Britons on Wednesday, reiterated that the nation will not get dragged into the war, but acknowledged that it likely will affect the cost of living. Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, issued a similar message, asking citizens not to hoard fuel and to take public transit if they can.

“The months ahead may not be easy … no government can promise to eliminate the pressures that this war is causing,” he said in an April 1 message. Trump said the U.S. has achieved its military objectives and will wind down the war in two to three weeks, but he is also sending thousands of troops to the region.

It is unclear how the additional deployments will come into play, though news reports suggest they could be used in operations such as taking crucial islands or seizing Iran’s supply of enriched uranium. The president on Wednesday morning posted on Truth Social that Iran’s “new regime president” asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. “We will consider when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages,” Trump wrote.

Gulf Nations Back Un Resolution Authorizing All Necessary Measures To

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