On March 31, the UAE sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Guterres and the Security Council, calling for the invocation of Chapter VII of the UN Charter to take immediate action, including the use of force, to restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
In the letter, UAE Ambassador to the United Nations Al Abushahab requested that the Security Council take immediate action to ensure the safe navigation of the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters, as well as the rights and freedom of navigation.
The UAE cited Chapter VII of the UN Charter in its letter, which allows the Security Council to authorize the use of force or impose economic blockades and sever diplomatic relations in response to threats to peace or acts of aggression.
If Gulf Arab states decide to participate in military action or form a naval task force to help break Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, or to maintain security of the waterway after the conflict, approval from the UN Security Council could provide them with a certain degree of diplomatic support.
The UAE is, so far, the only Gulf Arab country to express willingness to participate in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or provide escort for commercial vessels.
Meanwhile, Bahrain, currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council, is drafting a new resolution authorizing the establishment of a naval task force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.