United Nations Security Council Resolution 552
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
552, adopted on June 1, 1984, after hearing complaints from Bahrain
, Kuwait
, Oman
, Qatar
, Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates
regarding attacks on their ships by Iran
, the Council condemned the attacks, reiterating that Member States should refrain from using threats or use of force in their international relations
.
The Council then called on all States to respect free navigation in international waters
in accordance with international law
, calling for respect for the territorial integrity for States that were not part of the conflict between Iran
and Iraq
. The resolution demanded Iran cease the attacks on the commercial ships to and from the ports of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Resolution 552 concluded by stating that if the present resolution was not implemented, it would meet again to discuss further action it could take on the matter. It also requested the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
to report on the progress of the implementation of Resolution 552.
The resolution was adopted by 13 votes to none, with two abstention
s from Nicaragua
and Zimbabwe
.
Though Resolution 552 condemned Iran for attacks on ships, Iraq had also attacked an unspecified number beforehand, which led to claims of one-sidedness by Iran. On the days following the adoption of this resolution, two Saudi Arabian F-15s
shot down two Iranian F-4 Phantoms
over Saudi Arabian airspace.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
552, adopted on June 1, 1984, after hearing complaints from Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
regarding attacks on their ships by Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, the Council condemned the attacks, reiterating that Member States should refrain from using threats or use of force in their international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
.
The Council then called on all States to respect free navigation in international waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
in accordance with international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, calling for respect for the territorial integrity for States that were not part of the conflict between Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The resolution demanded Iran cease the attacks on the commercial ships to and from the ports of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Resolution 552 concluded by stating that if the present resolution was not implemented, it would meet again to discuss further action it could take on the matter. It also requested the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
to report on the progress of the implementation of Resolution 552.
The resolution was adopted by 13 votes to none, with two abstention
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
s from Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Though Resolution 552 condemned Iran for attacks on ships, Iraq had also attacked an unspecified number beforehand, which led to claims of one-sidedness by Iran. On the days following the adoption of this resolution, two Saudi Arabian F-15s
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
shot down two Iranian F-4 Phantoms
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
over Saudi Arabian airspace.
See also
- Iran–Iraq relations
- Iran–Iraq War
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 501 to 600 (1982–1987)
- Resolutions 479United Nations Security Council Resolution 479United Nations Security Council Resolution 479, adopted unanimously on September 28, 1980, after reminding Member States against the use of threats and force in their international relations, the Council called upon Iran and Iraq to immediately cease any further uses of force and instead settle...
, 514United Nations Security Council Resolution 514United Nations Security Council Resolution 514, adopted unanimously on July 12, 1982, after recalling Resolution 479 and noting the mediation efforts by the Secretary-General, Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement, the Council expressed its deep concern at the...
, 522United Nations Security Council Resolution 522United Nations Security Council Resolution 522, adopted unanimously on October 4, 1982, after recalling Resolution 479 and Resolution 514 , the Council called for an immediate ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, calling for the withdrawal of both sides to their internationally recognised borders.The...
, 540United Nations Security Council Resolution 540United Nations Security Council Resolution 540, adopted on October 31, 1983, noting the report of the Secretary-General and the increased cooperation from the governments of Iran and Iraq, the Council requested he continue with the mediation efforts in the region.Resolution 540 went on to condemn...
, 582United Nations Security Council Resolution 582United Nations Security Council Resolution 582, adopted unanimously on February 24, 1986, after noting that the Council had been seized for six years and the continued conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council deplored the initial acts that started the Iran–Iraq War and continuation of the...
, 588United Nations Security Council Resolution 588United Nations Security Council Resolution 588, adopted unanimously on October 8, 1986, after expressing concern at the continuation of the conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council urged both countries to implement Resolution 582 without delay....
, 598United Nations Security Council Resolution 598United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, adopted unanimously on July 20, 1987, after reaffirming Resolution 582 , the Council expressed its concern that, despite its calls for a ceasefire, the conflict between Iran and Iraq continued with heavy loss of life and material destruction.Acting...
, 612United Nations Security Council Resolution 612United Nations Security Council Resolution 612, adopted unanimously on May 9, 1988, after considering a report by the Special Mission dispatched by the Secretary-General to investigate alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council condemned the use of chemical...
, 616United Nations Security Council Resolution 616United Nations Security Council Resolution 616, adopted unanimously on July 20, 1988, after hearing representations from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Council expressed its distress at the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 over the Strait of Hormuz by a missile from the USS Vincennes during the...
, 619United Nations Security Council Resolution 619United Nations Security Council Resolution 619, adopted unanimously on August 9, 1988, after recalling Resolution 598 , the Council approved a report by the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar on the implementation of paragraph 2 of Resolution 598....
and 620United Nations Security Council Resolution 620United Nations Security Council Resolution 620, adopted unanimously on August 26, 1988, after recalling Resolution 612 which found evidence of the use of chemical warfare between Iran and Iraq, the Council again condemned the use of such weapons, in violation of the Geneva Protocol.The Council... - The Tanker War