Iran is seeking to begin letting Chinese-linked ships by means of the Strait of Hormuz, official says

Iran is considering letting Chinese-linked oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz – days after warning passing ships would be attacked.

An official for the regime today confirmed China would be spared the economic hardship of the war as the strategic sea passage is ‘only closed to tankers and ships belonging to our enemies’.

It follows President Donald Trump urging Britain and other countries to send warships to the strait to force its reopening.

Economies in Asia make up the main buyers of oil from the Gulf – with around 70 to 75 per cent of Gulf crude exports going to countries such as China, India, Japan and South Korea.

The passage serves as a conduit for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and around 140 vessels are said to pass through on an average day.

Yesterday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi insisted ‘as a matter of fact, the Strait of Hormuz is open’.

Though, the IRGC previously said any ship passing through would be attacked – leading the state of the strait to be described as a ‘death valley’.

An Iranian official has now confirmed to CNN that the Islamic Republic may grant safe passage to oil tankers if the cargo is traded in Chinese yuan.

Oil is currently traded almost entirely in US dollars – with the exception of sanctioned Russian oil, which is traded either in rubles or yuan.

Some commercial ships have already adjusted their transponder signals – to declare themselves linked to China.

Yesterday, two Indian tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas were allowed through the strait.

It remains unclear how Iran will enforce its checks on ships though it is thought vessels could be asked to hand over documentation for their purchases.

Mr Araghchi claimed only US and Israeli vessels were forbidden from using the Strait of Hormuz.

This is despite ships flagged to other countries also having been struck.

He also boasted China and Russia were providing Iran with ‘military co-operation’.

A total of 16 oil tankers, cargo and other commercial ships have been struck since the war started on Feb 28, according to the International Maritime Organisation.

The crisis has pushed up the price of crude oil to its highest mark since July 2022. 

Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul today said he was ‘sceptical’ about an EU naval mission to the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Wadephul told German broadcaster ARD that the mission to help commercial shipments pass through the Red Sea was ‘not effective’.

‘That is why I am very sceptical that extending Aspides to the Strait of Hormuz would provide greater security,’ he said.

It recently emerged Sir Keir Starmer, who at first declined to allow the US to use British bases to attack Iran, is now considering ‘any option’ to reopen the strait.

And today, environment secretary Ed Miliband said reopening the waterway was a ‘priority for the world’.

He said: ‘It is very important that we get the Strait of Hormuz reopened and we have already been talking with our allies, including the US, about this.

‘There are different ways that we could contribute, including with mine-hunting drones, all of these things are being looked at in concert with our allies.

‘You can rest assured that any options that can help the strait reopened are being looked [at].’

Around 12 per cent of Britain’s oil and gas came through the strait, according to energy minister Michael Shanks.

However, the knock-on effect on global prices has left Britain and Europe paying more for energy.

As he battles to regain control of the Strait, Mr Trumptoday  urged world leaders to help escort oil tankers through the chokepoint in the Gulf.

He called on ‘China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others’ to send ships to escort tankers, while the US military continues to pound drone, boat and missile launch sites in Iranian territory on the north shore of the strait.

The Iranian military responded to Trump’s threats, warning that oil and energy infrastructure owned by US-linked firms would ‘immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes’ if the United States struck its oil facilities, according to Iranian media.

South Korea said it was ‘closely monitoring President Trump’s remarks on social media’ while Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party, said the bar for sending Japanese navy ships to the region under existing laws was ‘extremely high’.

In the wake of the US President’s call, it has been reported that Britain could deploy minehunting drones from the Royal Navy’s Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, which is currently in the Middle East.

It has also emerged that interceptor drones, made in the UK for Ukraine to use against Russia, could be used against Iran’s aerial Shahed drones.