By Desire Emmanuel with Agency Reports
US President Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘permanently open’ despite his ongoing naval blockade amid growing concerns from China, the Daily Mail of UK reported.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway route through which one fifth of the world’s supply passes through in the Gulf region.
President Trump said on Wednesday morning that he is reopening the strait following private discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.”
Trump also claimed in the Truth Social that China has agreed to no longer send Iran weapons as the war continues, before adding: “President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks.”
“We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”
After peace talks with the Islamic regime collapsed over the weekend, the US president launched a naval blockade of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint through which one fifth of the world’s supply flows.
Trump imposed the blockade to push Tehran back to the negotiating table, with the president reportedly reluctant to resume the bombing campaign which has brought chaos to the Middle East.
It remains unclear whether Trump was declaring the strait open to shipping traffic immediately, or signaling an intent to reach a permanent resolution as peace talks with Iran continue.
Trump and the Chinese president are expected to meet for a diplomatic summit in Beijing in mid-May to discuss managing trade tariffs and US access to rare earth minerals.
The summit will be Trump’s first major foreign trip since launching the war against Iran – China’s largest Middle Eastern ally.
