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United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
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Organisation

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

UN's principal peace and security body; structurally paralysed when P5 members are parties to a conflict.

On 10 April, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) lost its route to compel a Strait of Hormuz reopening when Russia and China vetoed a resolution supported by 11 members.

Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics

Key Question

What use is the world's peace body when its veto-holders are the ones at war?

Timeline for United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

#14 23 Sept

Passed Ebola Resolution 2177 in 2014

Pandemics and Biosecurity: Mentioned in: G20 talks take Ebola pledges to US$3bn
#179 17 Sept

Russia and China kill Iran's UN monitor

Iran Conflict 2026
#178 13 Sept

Mentioned in: Iraqi forces seize the launch platform itself

Iran Conflict 2026
#177 8 Sept

Received Iran's nuclear compliance file via referral

Iran Conflict 2026: IAEA Board sends Iran's file to New York
#177 7 Sept

Received hundreds of Qatari letters documenting direct Iranian hits on Qatari facilities

Iran Conflict 2026: Qatar mediates in Beijing, files at UN
View full timeline →
Follow Iran Conflict 2026 →Follow Russia-Ukraine War 2026 →Follow Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences →

Background

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the UN's principal body for international peace and security. Created under the UN Charter in 1945, it can impose binding measures, including sanctions and authorisations for force. Its 15 seats combine five permanent members with ten members elected for two-year terms.

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States can each veto a substantive resolution. The arrangement was designed to keep the great powers inside the institution, but it prevents collective enforcement when a permanent member is party to a dispute or shields one.

The Council still supplies a formal forum, a public record and diplomatic legitimacy. In March 2026, it adopted Resolution 2817 with 13 votes while Russia and China abstained; in April, those same states vetoed the Hormuz measure.

Key Issues
Hormuz vote

The Council lost its route

On 10 April, 11 Council members backed a resolution calling for the strait of Hormuz to reopen, but Russia and China vetoed it. The vote ended the Council's collective route to require an opening.

By 14 June, a Council resolution or government certification was still needed before Lloyd's could remove Hormuz from its war-risk register. For the Council, the April veto showed that its legal authority cannot compel action when two permanent members oppose it.

Common Questions

Reference

What is P5 veto power at the UN?
The five permanent Security Council members (US, UK, France, Russia, and China) each hold an absolute veto over any substantive Council resolution. A single veto blocks any binding measure regardless of how other members vote. This has prevented collective Council action against parties to the 2026 Iran and Russia-Ukraine conflicts.
How many countries are on the UN Security Council?
15 members: 5 permanent (US, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
What emergency UN session was called after the Oreshnik attack on Kyiv?
Ukraine called an emergency UN Security Council session after Russia's 24 May 2026 dual-Oreshnik barrage on Kyiv, which was the most destructive single attack of the war. The session placed the scale of the attack on the formal international record but produced no binding outcome due to Russia's veto.Source: event
What happened at the UNSC Barakah session in May 2026?
On 19 May 2026, the Security Council held an emergency session after a drone struck the perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE. The UAE invoked Article 51 self-defence framing. Russia and China joined the condemnation — the first formal P5 consensus on nuclear-safety language in the conflict.Source: event
Did Russia veto the Iran ceasefire resolution?
No. Russia's own Ceasefire resolution failed 4-2-9, with the US and Latvia opposing and nine abstentions. Russia abstained rather than vetoed Resolution 2817 condemning Iran's Gulf attacks. Russia and China together vetoed the separate Hormuz-reopening resolution in April 2026.Source: event
What did the UN Security Council do about the Iran war?
The Council adopted Resolution 2817 condemning Iran's Gulf attacks, passing 13-0-2 with 135 co-sponsors. Russia's Ceasefire resolution failed 4-2-9. China and Russia vetoed a Hormuz-reopening resolution in April. No resolution addressed the US-Israeli strikes, blocked by the US veto.Source: event
Did the UN condemn the US strikes on Iran?
Secretary-General Guterres condemned the US-Israeli strikes as violations of international law and the UN Charter. The Security Council could not pass a binding resolution because of the US veto.Source: event
How many Ukrainian civilians were killed according to UN figures in 2026?
The UN Security Council briefing on 20 April 2026 documented 211 civilians killed and 1,206 injured in Ukraine in March 2026 alone, a 49% increase on February figures.
Why can the UN Security Council not stop the Russia-Ukraine war?
Russia holds a permanent veto on the Security Council, which means any resolution that would impose binding measures against Russia (sanctions, authorised force, Ceasefire enforcement) can be blocked unilaterally. The Council has therefore been limited to monitoring briefings and procedural debate.
Can the UN stop the Iran war?
No. The US holds a permanent veto on the Security Council, making it constitutionally impossible for the body to censure a permanent member's own military operations. The Council can pass resolutions against Iran's actions but cannot impose binding measures on the US or Israel.
What is UN Security Council Resolution 2817?
Resolution 2817 condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan. It was sponsored by Bahrain on behalf of the GCC and Jordan, passed 13-0-2, and had 135 co-sponsors — the most in UN history.Source: event
Source Material
UN Security Council — ReutersUN Security Council — BBC CoverageReuters: UN Security Council coverageUN Security Council: How it worksUN Security Council — Official SiteUnited Nations Security Council