Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on Iran to restore normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Wang spoke on the phone with his Iranian colleague Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Iran’s sovereignty and security in the strait must be respected, said Wang.
However, the freedom and safety of shipping on waterways must also be guaranteed. A critical window for peace is currently opening. China supports compliance with the ceasefire and the continuation of negotiations. This is in the interests of Iran, the region and the world. China is ready to continue working to ease the situation and improve relations between the countries in the region.
The US is confident that China will halt its purchases of Iranian oil following the US blockade of shipping to and from Iranian ports. “We have told all countries that we are now prepared to impose secondary sanctions if they buy Iranian oil or if Iranian money is in their banks,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the White House. “We assume that this blockade (…) will cause a pause in Chinese purchases.”
The US Treasury Department wrote to two Chinese banks directly.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Modshtaba Khamenei’s military adviser, Mohsen Rezai, has threatened to attack US ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump wants to make his country the “police of the Strait of Hormuz,” Resai said on Iranian state television on Wednesday. “Is that the task of a powerful army like that of the USA?”
“Their ships will be sunk by our first missiles and pose a major threat to the US military,” Resai said. “They can definitely be exposed to our missiles and we can destroy them.”
