Rubio urges China to pressure Iran over Strait of Hormuz tensions
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (photo: Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to directly convey to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is in Beijing, that continued hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz will lead to Tehran's global isolation, CNN reports.
"I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told, and that is that what you are doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this. You guys should not be blowing up ships. You should not be putting mines," Marco Rubio said, accusing Iran of "trying to hold hostage the global economy."
The visit of Abbas Araghchi to China comes ahead of a visit there by President Donald Trump next week. From a trade perspective, Rubio argued that China and the United States both benefit from stopping Iran.
"It's obvious China is an export-driven economy. That means they depend on other countries to buy from them. Well, you can't buy from them if you can't ship it there, and you can't buy from them if your economy is being destroyed by what Iran is doing," Rubio said.
The US Secretary of State also emphasized that Beijing is suffering economically from the Iranian blockade.
"It is in China's interest that Iran stop closing the straits. It's harming China as well," he said.
Although Rubio raised questions with the US Treasury Department regarding sanctions, he warned that China would face consequences if it ignored them.
Confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz
As is known, despite a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, Tehran's maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz continues. Moreover, Iran charges fees for permits for ships to move freely, which also angers the United States.
However, the most significant negative consequences of the Iranian blockade are related to oil prices, which in turn create a chain of price increases in all other sectors worldwide.
The rise in gasoline prices in the United States, which is a direct consequence of the Iranian blockade at sea, is an undesirable factor shortly before elections in America, which also makes Trump nervous.
Therefore, the United States initiated the submission of a resolution to the United Nations, the approval of which would force Tehran to unblock the strait for free navigation.
At the same time, oil prices have been falling for a second consecutive day after Trump's statements about significant progress in negotiations with Iran. During the night of May 6 Kyiv time, it became known about the completion of the US operation in Iran called Epic Fury.
Trump also suspended the newly created Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz aimed at the passage of ships.
