Bahrain proposes UN Security Council approve use of force to protect shipping

Bahrain has put forward a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.



Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to succeed.



The move underscores mounting concern in the region that Iran could continue to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that carries about a fifth of global oil supplies and underpins Gulf economies.



Closing the Strait has been one of Iran's main objectives. Shipping through the waterway has ground to a near-halt after Iran hit vessels in its conflict with the U.S. and Israel.