The United States has called on China to use its influence to dissuade Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a move would trigger severe global economic fallout and risk major escalation following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday publicly urged China to intervene diplomatically with Iran to prevent any move to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a vital maritime chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments — following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Speaking on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News, Rubio said Beijing should use its influence with Tehran to avoid a potentially catastrophic disruption to international energy supplies. His remarks come after Iran’s Press TV reported that the Iranian parliament approved a resolution to close the strait, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas transits.
"I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," Rubio said. "If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it."
Rubio, who also serves as the U.S. National Security Adviser, stressed that Washington would view any closure of the strait as a serious escalation, adding that it would have global economic repercussions far beyond the U.S.
"We retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours," he said.
The comments follow a dramatic military escalation over the weekend in which U.S. forces launched a coordinated strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, targeting facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The Pentagon confirmed the use of 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles, and over 125 aircraft in what officials described as a mission to "obliterate" Iran’s key nuclear capabilities.
In response, Tehran has vowed to defend itself. The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet issued a statement regarding Rubio’s appeal or the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio warned Iran against launching any retaliation for the U.S. strikes, stating it would be "the worst mistake they've ever made," but also emphasised that the United States remains open to dialogue.
The developments have raised alarm among international observers, with many warning that any disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a broader economic crisis and further inflame tensions in the region.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remai...
Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one ye...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one year after nationwide anti-government protests left 10 people dead.
Thousands of Russians are hunting for apartments in Tbilisi and Yerevan - not because of a mobilisation order that's been signed, but because of one many fear is coming.
Poland has asked the European Commission to impose a €250 million ($291.3 million) fine on Meta, accusing the technology company of failing to adequately tackle fraudulent advertisements on its platforms.
Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, has died, according to a United Nations official.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment