The UN Security Council's actions must not grant a license for the use of force, let alone further exacerbate tensions and add fuel to the fire, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Tuesday.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a draft resolution that "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation through the strait, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels.

Eleven members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, China and Russia voted against it, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained.

In his explanation of China's vote on the draft resolution, Fu said the conflict in Iran and its spillover effects continue to deal a heavy blow to regional and global peace and stability, hitting the global economy and causing increasingly widespread disruptions.

"The Security Council should not rush to vote on a draft resolution when serious concerns have been raised by members," Fu said.

"The US and Israel, without authorization from the Security Council and while negotiations between Iran and the US were underway, launched military strikes against Iran," he said. "This is in clear violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations."

"At a time when the US is openly threatening the very survival of a civilization, when the current hostilities imposed on Iran are very likely to further escalate, the draft resolution, should it have been adopted, would send an extremely wrong message and have very serious consequences," Fu stressed.

Under the current circumstances, the ambassador said, the draft resolution should clearly identify the root causes of the conflict, seek appropriate solutions to address the root causes, ensure the safety and security of shipping lanes, and strive to promote dialogue and achieve peace.

"China has vetoed this resolution. We don't think the resolution is balanced. It doesn't even touch upon the root cause of the situation. I want to emphasize, in particular, the timing is very bad. We all heard what the US president has said. Against this background, we think it is extremely dangerous for the Security Council to adopt a resolution like this," Fu said after the vote in an interview with CMG.

Fu added that the fundamental reason for the disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is illegal military action taken by the US and Israel against Iran.

"China strongly calls on the US and Israel to immediately cease their illegal military action," he said, adding that at the same time, China calls on Iran to stop attacking relevant facilities in the Gulf, address the legitimate concerns of Gulf States, focus on the common interest of the Global South, and take corresponding positive measures to restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.

The draft resolution was proposed by Bahrain in coordination with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Jordan.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, said the draft resolution presented Iranian actions as the sole source of regional tensions, while illegal attacks by the US and Israel against Iran were "not mentioned at all."

Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the draft seeks "to punish the victim for defending its sovereignty and vital national interests in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while providing political and legal cover for further unlawful acts by the aggressors."

(With input from Xinhua)