‘Dangerous and irresponsible’: China condemns US blockade of Iranian ports

The Strait of Hormuz, which handles between 17 and 20 million barrels of oil daily, has effectively been constrained since the escalation of tensions between the US and Iran, limiting global energy flows. US President Donald Trump has threatened to sink ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Gulf after peace talks between Washington and Tehran failed over the weekend. The blockade came into force at 1400 GMT on Monday, despite the United States and Iran agreeing to a fragile two-week ceasefire days earlier.

“The US increased military deployments and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardise the safety of passage through the Strait (of Hormuz),” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference. “This is dangerous and irresponsible behaviour,” he added. Iran has effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendly — such as China — to cross.

Trump’s blockade, analysts say, aims to starve Iran of funds and pressure Beijing, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to push Tehran to open the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil transits in peacetime. Tehran’s ambassador to the United Nations called Trump’s blockade a “grave violation” of Iran’s sovereignty. Speaking publicly about the war for the first time, Xi echoed those warnings on Tuesday, calling for the national sovereignty of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf to be “respected”.