US Urges China to Prevent Iran from Shutting Strait of Hormuz

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has urged China to persuade Iran not to close the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington carried out an attack on Iran's nuclear site on Sunday night.

Rubio's statement came after Press TV Iran reported that Iran's Islamic parliament had approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman that carries about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas flow.

"I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio, who also serves as the national security advisor.

Rubio disclosed this during the "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" on Fox News, as reported by MintNews.

"If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."

Iran has long threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Immediately after the military strike on three of its nuclear sites by the U.S., Hossein Shariatmadari, a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, reportedly called for immediate retaliation, including closing the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French ships.

Rubio said closing the Strait would be a significant escalation requiring a response from the U.S. and other countries.

Where is the Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz is between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important narrow points.

The Strait is a major export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait. The Strait of Hormuz allows about 20 percent of the world's daily oil consumption, or about 20 million barrels, to pass through.

The strait has been a focal point of regional tension for decades, and recently, attacks have occurred near it targeting alternative oil routes passing through Hormuz.

U.S. officials said on Sunday that its military had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites using 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, and over 125 military aircraft.

The attack marked an escalation in the ongoing Middle East conflict, with Israel beginning to attack Iran on June 13.

Israel's attacks on Iran have so far claimed at least 950 lives and injured 3,450 others, citing a human rights group in Washington.

Tehran has promised to retaliate. Rubio warned Iran against retaliation, saying such action would be "the worst mistake they ever made."

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