Birds fly near the Jag Vasant vessel transferring LPG at a port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid supply disruptions linked to the U.S-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Mumbai, India, April 1, 2026. (Credit: Francis Mascarenhas/ Reuters)
China said on Thursday that U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran were the "root cause" of the Strait of Hormuz blockage, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on affected countries to seize the key waterway.
"The root cause of interruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is the United States and Israel's illegal military operations against Iran," Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference, when asked about Trump's comments.
The U.S. leader said on Wednesday that countries that receive oil through the Hormuz strait "must take care of that passage," urging them to "just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves."
China said on Thursday that U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran were the "root cause" of the Strait of Hormuz blockage, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on affected countries to seize the key waterway.
"The root cause of interruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is the United States and Israel's illegal military operations against Iran," Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference, when asked about Trump's comments.
The U.S. leader said on Wednesday that countries that receive oil through the Hormuz strait "must take care of that passage," urging them to "just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves."
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