After April 13, Trump imposed a naval blockade to attract mix reaction across the world. NATO allies such as Britain, Spain, and France refused to join the U.S.-led naval blockade against Iran, opting instead for a diplomatic solution. If the blockade continues, oil prices and market movement may worsen further. Already, gas prices rose to $103 per barrel in the US
The CENTCOM forces only block ships entering or exiting the Iranian and Omani sea ports, as different US-sanctioned ships from China have been loading material from the UAE and other Gulf ports and heading towards China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s public message
“We Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. We have a strong sense of pride and confidence. We have never bullied or oppressed or subjugated people of any other country and never will. By the same token, we will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Of China Guo Jiakun said, “China will not respect any unilateral naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Our oil and goods ships are moving in and out of the strait without hindrance. We have longstanding trade and energy agreements with Iran, and we will honor our commitments. No external party can dictate China’s sovereign relations or interfere with our commercial partnerships. Freedom of navigation and respect for international law must be upheld.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says, “We will not be involved in blockade of the Strait, we are urgently working with France, Spain and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect the freedom of navigation. “US cannot dictate how other should manage their affairs”-
Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, expressed his desire to mediate between the USA and Iran to sustain peace, saying,
I am always ready to sit down with the President of the United States at any time to make efforts for a mediation with Iran that produces an outcome the international community would welcome with open arms. Peace in the world is our primary goal. The world has had enough of instability. Now that North Korea and South Korea are on the path to peace and prosperity, I would like joint military operations with South Korea and other nations. And I will not allow the deployment of weapons from other nations in our vicinity.”
Foreign Minister of the Association of south east asian nations (ASEAN) published a joint statement
“…..We reaffirm the importance of maintaining maritime safety and security, and upholding freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits used for international navigation, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. We call for the restoration of the safe, unimpeded, and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz in line with the 1982 UNCLOS, as well as for all parties to ensure the safety of seafarers and ships in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)…..”
Iranian officials say, “If the security of Iran’s ports in the Persian Gulf, Oman sea threatened, no port in the region will be safe.”
