China said on Thursday that US and Israeli attacks on Iran were the “main cause” of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump called on the affected countries to seize the key waterway.
Trump said countries that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz should “take care of that passage”, which has been effectively closed by Tehran in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
He urged such countries to “just take it, protect it, use it for yourself.”
China is a major importer of oil through the vital waterway, and the foreign ministry in Beijing blamed the United States and Israel on Thursday.
“The main cause of disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is the illegal military operations of the United States and Israel against Iran,” ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference.
Trump, faced with plummeting approval ratings because of the war, has sought reassurance that the conflict is coming to an end. However, he also warned in a televised address that there would be another “two to three weeks” of heavy attacks that would “bring (Iran) into the Stone Age”.
If no deal is reached with Tehran, he said, Washington would look at key targets, including Iran’s electricity-generating power plants.
Asked about Trump’s threats, Mao told reporters that “military means cannot fundamentally solve the problem, and escalating conflicts is not in the interests of either side.”
China is the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the strait.
The effective closure of the waterway has caused global oil prices to rise by 40 to 50 percent, affecting key industries, particularly the aviation sector.
Several Chinese airlines, including national carrier Air China, said that will increase their fuel charges on domestic flights from Sunday as war in the Middle East raises oil prices.
Several other airlines, including Air France-KLM, Cathay Pacific, Air India, Qantas and SAS, have raised their fares to reflect rising jet fuel prices and rerouted flights to avoid the war-torn region.
A barrel of Brent crude, the benchmark for energy markets, has risen to around US$100 since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to retaliate against oil installations in several Gulf states.
