Iran says Chinese ships passed through Hormuz overnight

Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) on Thursday said that a number of Chinese ships were allowed passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the night before.

The critical waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments transited in peacetime, has largely been blockaded by Iran since US and Israeli attacks against it on February 28 triggered the current conflict.

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What did Iran say about Chinese ships passing through Hormuz?

Iranian state television said "more than 30 ships" had been allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but did not specify how many of those ships were Chinese.

"It was ultimately concluded that a number of Chinese ships requested by this country would pass through this area after an agreement on Iran's strait management protocols," the Guard said in a statement, adding that "this passage began last night."

An IRGC commander stressed vessels linked to "an enemy state" continued to be blocked from passing through the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The statement coincided with US President Donald Trump's visit to China, where rallying support against Iran is among his priorities.

In comments to US broadcaster Fox News on Thursday and after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said that the Chinese leader had promised him to help with opening up the Strait of Hormuz and had vowed not to arm Iran.

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US claims blockade on Iranian ports stalled oil production

Meanwhile, Washington has claimed that its blockade on Iranian ports, a response to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has brought the Islamic Republic's oil production to a standstill.

In an interview with US outlet CNBC, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there "have been no loadings in the past three days" at Kharg Island, a key hub for Iranian oil exports.

"We believe their storage is full. None of the ships are getting out, none are coming in, so they're not able to store oil on the water," Bessent said.

Iran's local currency has fallen to a record law since the start of the conflict, with consumer prices almost doubling.

Iran denies it is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping companies that want to cross the strategic waterway must now coordinate with Iranian authorities and can only pass through a corridor close to the Iranian coast after paying a high fee, which international law experts say violates the right of transit passage.

rmt/wd (AFP, dpa)