Situation in the Strait of Hormuz

China on US Blockade: “Dangerous and Irresponsible”

China calls the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a “dangerous and irresponsible” act that risks increasing tensions in the region, reports CNBC.

– China urges all parties to take concrete measures to reduce tensions in the region and restore normal traffic in the strait as soon as possible, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference.

Beijing urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire and focus on peace negotiations.

Chinese ship passes through the strait despite sanctions

A Chinese ship subject to US sanctions passed through the Strait of Hormuz off Iran on Tuesday, reports Reuters. This despite President Donald Trump’s blockade.

The ship, the Rich Starry, is the largest to pass through the strait since the blockade began on Monday, according to the news agency.

The US imposed sanctions on Rich Starry because of its dealings with Iran.

Expert doubts strategy: “Will not capitulate”

Experts and analysts doubt that Donald Trump’s own blockade will cause Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, writes the New York Times. Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at the Israel-based think tank Institute for National Security Studies, says that the regime in Tehran is convinced that it is causing more damage to the international economy than to Iran.

Citrinowicz believes that it is unlikely that Donald Trump’s blockade of the ports will cause Iran to “raise the white flag.”

– I can save you the wait: Iran will not capitulate.

Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations, says that Iran's regime has shown itself to be "prepared to take more than a few blows" and that it does not care how it affects the country's own citizens.