China responds after Trump urges countries to send warships to secure Strait of Hormuz

Hours after US President Donald Trump urged many countries including China to deploy warships in the Strait of Hormuz to secure the region, China and the UK have responded. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told CNN that China wants an immediate cession of hostilities, and that “all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply.” The UK’s Defense Ministry responded saying that they are still weighing a number of options to ensure the security of the strategic shipping route. There has been no response from France, Japan, South Korea so far. Stating that the security of the Strait of Hormuz should always have been a “team effort”, Trump in a Truth Social post on mar 14 said that the countries of the world that “receive oil through the Hormuz Strait” must take care of that passage.” He also declared that the US will help them.

In a statement quoted by CNN, Chinese Embassy said, “As a sincere friend and strategic partner of Middle Eastern countries, China will continue to strengthen communication with relevant parties, including parties to the conflict, and play a constructive role for deescalation and restoration of peace.” A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defense said that the UK is “currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region.” The Chinese response amid uncertainty over Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting in Beijing in over two weeks.

Meanwhile, at least 29 maritime incidents have been reported since the closure of Strait of Hormuz by Iran. Several Indian Navy warships have been deployed near the Persian Gulf and remain on standby to assist merchant vessels coming towards India, a report by news agency ANI citing sources claimed on Sunday.

Trump on Saturday (March 14) claimed, “Many countries, those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait will be sending warships in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the strait safe and open for shipping.” Though he claimed in a Truth Social post that the US has “already destroyed 100 percent of Iran’s military capability”, he urged multiple countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send ships to the area so that the Hormuz will no longer be a threat. He also said that it is easy for Iran to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along or in this waterway, “no matter how badly defeated they are.”

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, after the US and Israel launched pre-emptive attack on the Islamic Republic on Feb 28. It has declared that any vessel passing through the passage would require Iran’s prior approval, with Iranian Revolutionary Guard stating that it would “not allow a single drop of oil to leave the region to the US” through the strait. Brent Crude is trading around $103.14 per barrel as of Mar 13. The closure of Strait of Hormuz has raised global fears for energy and oil needs as it is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, through which a significant portion of global crude oil and natural gas shipments transit. Iran also stated it would permit Chinese ships to pass. However, on Mar 14, Indian authorities confirmed that two Indian LPG carriers (Shivalik and Nanda Devi) were permitted safe passage after coordination with Iranian authorities.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and the International Maritime Organisation confirmed that on March 1, the oil tankers MT Skylight and MKD VYOM were struck and later abandoned after fires broke out, resulting in three deaths. On March 2, the US-flagged Stena Imperative was reportedly hit twice while docked at port in Bahrain. On March 4, the container vessel Safeen Prestige was struck by a projectile that triggered an engine-room fire and forced the crew to abandon ship. On March 6, a tugboat assisting the damaged vessel was hit by two missiles and sank. The attacks intensified on March 11, when a wave of strikes targeted the MV Mayuree Naree, Safesea Vishnu, and Zefyros, causing multiple fires and leaving several crew members missing, according to maritime security updates from UKMTO and regional naval authorities. An Indian sailor was also killed in the Mar 11 attack.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)