US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to help prevent Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global trade route, following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio said during an appearance on Fox News.
Analysts warn that Iran may respond to the US strikes by attempting to close the Strait—a narrow waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
“If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It’s economic suicide for them, and we retain options to deal with it,” Rubio said. “But other countries should be looking at that as well—it would hurt their economies even more than ours. That kind of escalation would demand a response, not just from us, but from others too.”
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise as an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that US military bases would now be considered “legitimate targets” for Iranian forces.
It remains unclear whether the US strikes will prompt Tehran to de-escalate the conflict or widen it further. China, along with Russia and several Arab nations, condemned the US attacks, stating they “escalate tensions in the Middle East.”
