By Global Times: Despite the fact that the relevant parties had already reached a temporary ceasefire arrangement, the US has further escalated its military deployment and taken targeted blockade actions, which will only intensify contradictions, heighten tensions, undermine the already fragile ceasefire, and further disrupt the safety of passage through the strait.
This is dangerous and irresponsible behavior, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday. Guo made the remarks when asked to comment that the US Central Command had announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting at 10 pm Beijing time on April 13, while Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran would not yield to any threats.
Monitoring data also showed that commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz had come to a standstill beginning on the night of April 13.
China believes that only a comprehensive ceasefire and an end to hostilities can fundamentally create the conditions needed to ease tensions in the strait. China urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire arrangement, stay focused on the broader direction of dialogue and negotiation, take concrete steps to help de-escalate the regional situation, and restore normal passage through the strait as soon as possible, said Guo.
