U.S. urges China to deter Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz after strikes on nuclear sites

June 23, Kathmandu: The United States has urged China to help prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route, after American airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that China, which relies heavily on the Strait for oil imports, should press Iran to avoid such actions.

He warned that Iran’s closure of the Strait, through which one-fifth of global oil flows, would be economically disastrous for Tehran and could severely harm other nations’ economies more than the U.S., and might provoke a significant response from multiple countries, not just the United States.

Analysts suggested that Iran might retaliate by blocking the Strait in response to the U.S. strikes. Rubio described this as a grave error that would escalate tensions dramatically.

Meanwhile, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that U.S. military bases used by the U.S. would be considered legitimate targets for Iran’s armed forces.

It remains uncertain whether the U.S. strikes will lead Iran to de-escalate or further intensify the conflict.