Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said on Thursday that several Chinese ships had been allowed to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz the night before.
The vital waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments transit in peacetime, has been largely blocked by Iran since attacks against the US and Israel on February 28 sparked the current conflict.
What did Iran say on Chinese ships passing through Hormuz?
Iranian state television said “more than 30 ships” were allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but did not say how many of those ships were Chinese.
“It was finally concluded that a number of Chinese ships requested by this country will pass through this area following Iran’s agreement on the Straits Management Protocol,” the Guard said in a statement. This route started last night.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that an IRGC commander insisted that ships belonging to an “enemy state” were being prevented from passing through the waterway.
The statement coincides with US President Donald Trump’s visit to China, where garnering support against Iran is one of his priorities.
In comments to US broadcaster Fox News on Thursday and after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said the Chinese leader had promised him to help open the Strait of Hormuz and vowed not to arm Iran.
America claims that oil production has stopped due to the blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, Washington has claimed that its blockade of Iranian ports, in response to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, has caused the Islamic Republic’s oil production to grind to a halt.
In an interview with US outlet CNBC, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said “there has been no loading in the last three days” on Kharg Island, a major hub for Iranian oil exports.
“We believe their storage is full. No ships are going out, no ones are coming in, so they are not able to store oil on the water,” Besant said.
Iran’s local currency has fallen to record lows, with consumer prices nearly doubling since the beginning of the conflict.
Iran denies it is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping companies that want to transit the strategic waterway must now coordinate with Iranian authorities and can pass through the corridor close to the Iranian coast only after paying high fees, which international law experts say violates the right of transit passage.
rmt/wd (AFP, dpa)