A US blockade surrounding Iranian ports was deemed “dangerous and irresponsible” by China on Tuesday, following US President Donald Trump’s threat to sink any boats attempting to depart or dock there. Following the breakdown of peace negotiations over the weekend, Trump issued an order prohibiting ships from entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Gulf.
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire days before, but the blockade went into effect on Monday at 1400 GMT.
Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, stated at a news conference that “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 jeopardize safety of passage through the Strait (of Hormuz).
This is reckless and deadly behavior, he continued.
Only ships serving nations it considers friendly, like China, are permitted to pass through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has previously closed to what it views as enemy shipping. According to commentators, the goal of Trump’s blockade is to deprive Iran of money and put pressure on Beijing, the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, to persuade Tehran to open the strait, which is the route taken by one-fifth of the world’s oil.
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