NEW YORK: Bahrain has circulated a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council condemning missile and drone attacks by Iran against several Gulf states and demanding Tehran “immediately and unconditionally” halt its “provocations and threats to neighboring countries,” according to a draft text seen by Arab News.

It was distributed to council members on Sunday on behalf of the Member States of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf: Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The text condemns “unequivocally, in the strongest terms” what it called “heinous” Iranian missile and unmanned aerial vehicle strikes targeting the territories of the Gulf countries and Jordan. It states that such acts constitute “a breach of international law and a serious threat to international peace and security.”

The resolution would demand the “immediate cessation of all attacks” by Iran against these states and calls on Tehran to stop any provocations or threats toward neighboring countries, including through the use of proxy forces.

Diplomats told Arab News the council is expected to discuss the proposal during closed consultations on Monday. Bahrain is seeking co-sponsors for the draft, including from member states of the EU, the diplomats added.

The draft highlights the importance of the Gulf region to international peace and security and its vital role in the stability of the world economy, evoking Council Resolution 552 — adopted in 1984 — which reaffirmed the right of free navigation in international waters and sea lanes for shipping.

The text also expresses strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Gulf states and Jordan and reaffirms the inherent right of “individual or collective self-defense in response to the deplorable armed attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

The draft also deplores Iran’s “deliberate targeting” of civilians and civilian infrastructure, “including airports, energy installations, objects necessary for food production and distribution, and critical civilian infrastructure, as well as the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas and their consequences for the civilian population, as well as attacks and threats on merchant and commercial vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz and the disruption of maritime security and the adverse impact on international trade, energy security and the global economy resulting from destabilizing activities and regional tensions which constitute a violation of international law.”

The text further raises concerns about threats to maritime security and international trade, condemning attacks or threats against merchant and commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and warning against any actions aimed at obstructing international navigation through the waterway or the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The resolution would reaffirm that the navigational rights of commercial vessels must be respected under international law and notes that states have the right to defend their vessels against attacks that threaten freedom of navigation.

Council negotiations on the text are expected to begin this week, though diplomats said it was not yet clear whether the draft would be put to a vote or face opposition from some members.