China slammed the ongoing U.S. military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday as a “dangerous and irresponsible move.”
The remarks from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun came after the U.S. began enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in key waterway at 10 a.m. ET on Monday. President Donald Trump ordered the blockade after peace talks with Tehran collapsed this weekend.
“With the temporary ceasefire agreement still in place, the United States ramped up military deployment and resorted to a targeted blockade. This will only aggravate confrontation, escalate tension, undermine the already fragile ceasefire and further jeopardize safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Guo said. “It is a dangerous and irresponsible move.”
“China believes that only a complete ceasefire can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation. We urge relevant parties to honor the ceasefire agreement, stick to the direction of peace talks and take concrete actions to deescalate the situation so that normal traffic via the Strait will be able to resume as soon as possible,” he added.
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White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that “The Iranians desperation for a deal is only increasing with President Trump’s highly effective naval blockade in effect.”
“The President is rightfully securing the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation for all ships traveling to non-Iranian ports, ending the Iranian extortion of the world, and applying pressure on Iran’s crumbling economy as big, beautiful tankers head to the Gulf of America,” Wales said in response to the comments from China’s foreign ministry. “President Trump and his negotiating team have made the United States red lines very clear – and will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points. It carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.
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U.S. Central Command announced plans to enforce the blockade earlier Monday in a notice to seafarers.
“Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,” the note said.
Iran has condemned the blockade as “piracy” and vowed to respond with force, potentially ending the fragile ceasefire with the U.S.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
