Kurniawan Arif Maspul
What has unfolded is not simply another Middle Eastern conflict. It is a moment that forces a reckoning. Within weeks of the initial strikes, maritime traffic through Hormuz collapsed from around 130 daily transits to barely a handful. Oil prices surged toward crisis levels, with some refiners reportedly paying near US$150 per barrel. The consequences have rippled far beyond the Gulf: inflationary shocks in Europe, fuel rationing risks in Asia, and deepening food insecurity across parts of Africa. The global economy, already strained, now teeters on the edge of systemic disruption.
Against this backdrop, Bahrain’s attempt to shepherd a UN Security Council resolution to restore freedom of navigation appeared, at least superficially, as a defense of the global commons. Yet the subsequent veto by China and Russia did more than block a diplomatic initiative — it reframed the narrative. Their argument was blunt: any resolution that ignores the precipitating use of force against Iran risks legitimizing aggression.
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