China Says Trump’s Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Is Dangerous and Irresponsible

China condemns the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it is irresponsible and exacerbates tensions. China denies shipping weapons to Iran and urges compliance with the ceasefire.

Ship passage has fallen significantly, and Iran wants to restart negotiations with the U.S. against the backdrop of damage caused by major conflicts.

Gate News, April 14—On Tuesday, China condemned the U.S. blockade of Iran’s Strait of Hormuz, which began at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, and called it a “dangerous and irresponsible act,” saying it will further worsen the already fragile ceasefire situation.

Beijing warned that if the U.S. uses this as a pretext to impose additional tariffs on China, China will take firm countermeasures. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiajun said that only a comprehensive ceasefire can ease tensions in this waterway.

He denied reports that China shipped weapons to Iran, calling them “completely fabricated,” and urged all parties to adhere to the ceasefire arrangements and restore normal navigation through the strait as soon as possible. Despite the blockade, BBC Verify reported that ship-tracking data shows that four Iran-related ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz after the operation began.

Two of these ships had docked at Iranian ports, including the bulk carrier Christianna and the sanctioned ships Rich Starry, Murlikishan, and Elpis. However, some ships may have used location “spoofing” to conceal their true positions.

Before the conflict broke out, the strait averaged 138 ships per day; and currently, the crossing volume is only a small fraction of that number. Iran’s state news agency IRNA said that after talks with Washington over the weekend collapsed, Tehran relayed information about the current developments to Pakistan, the mediating party, between Tehran and Pakistan.

Reuters reported that the U.S. and Iranian negotiation teams may return to Islamabad this week to restart talks. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mojahedi said that the initial damage assessment from the conflict totals approximately $270 billion dollars, and issues such as compensation are among the topics raised in discussions with the U.S. over the weekend.