Amid growing concerns from China, US President Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘permanently open’ despite its naval blockade.
Trump said Wednesday morning he was reopening the strait after private discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“China is very pleased that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. I’m doing it for them—and for the world. This situation will never happen again.
His comments came as Trump is scheduled to travel to Beijing from May 14-15 for a meeting with President Xi Jinping, which will be the first visit by a US president to China in his second term.
Trump then claimed that China had agreed to no longer send arms to Iran as the war continued, before adding: ‘President Xi is going to give me a big hug when I get there in a few weeks.’
‘We are working cleverly and very well together! Isn’t this better than fighting??? But remember, we are very good at fighting, if we have to fight – much better than anyone else!!!’
After peace talks with the Islamic regime failed over the weekend, the president launched a naval blockade of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint through which about a quarter of the world’s supplies flow.
The blockade has reportedly put an economic strain on Tehran in hopes of returning to the negotiating table.
It comes after the US military earlier claimed it has “maritime superiority in the Middle East” after launching the blockade on Monday in response to failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad over the weekend.
