The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on Friday on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said, but veto-wielding China made clear its opposition to any authorization of the use of force.

Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, kicking off a conflict that has now exceeded a month and effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic.

Diplomats said Bahrain, which currently chairs the 15-member Security Council, finalized a draft resolution seen by Reuters that would authorize "all defensive means necessary" to protect commercial shipping.

"We look forward to a unified position from this esteemed Council during the vote that will take place on the draft resolution tomorrow, God willing," Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani told the council.

Bahrain, backed in its efforts to secure a resolution by other Gulf Arab states and Washington, had previously dropped an explicit reference to binding enforcement in a bid to overcome objections from other nations, particularly Russia and China.

The draft seen by Reuters authorizes the measures "for a period of at least six months ... and until such time as the council decides otherwise."

However, speaking to the Security Council on Thursday morning, China's U.N. envoy Fu Cong opposed authorizing the use of force.

He said this would be "legitimizing the unlawful and indiscriminate use of force, which would inevitably lead to further escalation of the situation and lead to serious consequences."

A fourth draft of the resolution had been placed under a so-called silence procedure for approval until noon (1600 GMT) on Thursday, but a Western diplomatic source said the silence had been broken, by China, Russia and France.

Diplomats said a text had subsequently been finalized, or "put in blue," which means a vote can take place. They said this would take place on Friday morning, when a Security Council meeting has been scheduled, even though it is a U.N. holiday.

A Security Council resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from its five permanent members, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

Al Zayani said Iran's "unlawful and unjustified attempt to control international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz" threatened the interests of the world and "requires a decisive response."

The secretary-general of the 22-member League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, told the Security Council it backed Bahrain's efforts to secure a resolution.

On Thursday Britain hosted a meeting with over 40 countries to discuss efforts to reopen and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and also expressed support for Bahrain's efforts to secure a resolution on the issue.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to continue attacks, but did not lay out a plan to re-open the strait, which sent oil prices even higher as his words raised concerns that the U.S. may not play a major role in ensuring safe passage for shippers through the crucial waterway.