Last Updated on April 7, 2026 11:58 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ

Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW YORK/DUBAI: Regional stability in the Middle East deteriorated further on Tuesday as intensifying hostilities crippled critical infrastructure and pushed humanitarian services to a breaking point. While the human cost of the conflict continues to mount, a significant diplomatic effort to secure global energy corridors was thwarted at the United Nations.

Security Council Standoff

In a high-stakes session at the UN Security Council in New York, a resolution spearheaded by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states was defeated. The proposal aimed to establish a security framework for merchant vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most vital oil chokepoint.

The resolution was blocked by dual vetoes from China and Russia, signaling a deepening fracture between global powers over regional intervention. The vetoes have raised immediate concerns regarding the safety of international shipping and the potential for a fresh spike in global energy prices.

UN VideoToday 22:01

UN rights chief deplores incendiary rhetoric, ‘sickening’ threats

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged the international community to take urgent steps to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East and help protect civilian lives.

“I deplore the tirade of incendiary rhetoric being used in the Middle East war over the last couple of weeks by all parties, including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure,” Volker Türk said.

“This is sickening. Carrying through on such threats amounts to the most serious international crimes.”

His statement follows US President Donald Trump saying that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran does not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz maritime corridor.