Trump vows the strategic oil route “will be opened” as Russia and China back Tehran against fresh US-Israel pressure
Iran has declared that there are “no international waters” in the Strait of Hormuz, with mounting reports in Washington indicating that the United States and Israel may be preparing fresh strikes against Iran within days.
Speaking in India on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz falls entirely under the territorial control of Iran and Oman. “The strait is located in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. There is no international waters in between,” Araghchi said.
He added that Tehran is now coordinating with Oman over the future management of the strategic waterway, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. According to reports, Iran is considering introducing toll fees and demanding details about the nationality of ships using the route.
The comments come amid rising tensions after Iran accused the US and Israel of aggression following recent military confrontations involving Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has meanwhile insisted that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and that Iran will never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. “I’m going to do what’s right. I have to do what’s right,” Trump said. “The Strait will be opened, they will not have a nuclear weapon, and the world will go on.”
But despite diplomatic contacts, Iranian officials continue signalling deep mistrust toward Washington. Araghchi recently warned that Iran “cannot trust the Americans entirely,” underscoring growing suspicion inside Tehran over US intentions. Iran has consistently maintained that it does not possess nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, thew Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, said Beijing believes the solution to tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz “lies in achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” between Washington and Tehran.
“Force cannot solve problems,” Wang Yi said, as China positioned itself against further military escalation in the Gulf.
The diplomatic divide is also widening at the United Nations. Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov reposted comments from Chinese officials criticising a proposed US-backed UN resolution on the Strait of Hormuz as “not right” before adding: “Russia is of the same view”.
Ulyanov also warned that if reports of imminent strikes are true, then Washington is repeating the same strategic mistakes that triggered the current crisis.
“Western experts believe that the US and Israel can resume military strikes against Iran in the coming days, if not hours. If that is true, it means that the US and Israel do not learn lessons from their past strategic mistakes,” Ulyanov said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also openly blamed Washington and Tel Aviv for creating the Strait of Hormuz crisis. “Before the start of this aggression, there was no problem with the Strait of Hormuz. Safe navigation was ensured 100 percent,” Lavrov said, describing the tensions as the result of “unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel against Iran.”
The Strait of Hormuz sits between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and is regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical chokepoints. Any disruption there could trigger:
- soaring global fuel prices
- major shipping disruptions
- economic shocks
- and possible military escalation across the Middle East
Analysts say the growing alignment between Russia, China and Iran against the US and Israel is rapidly transforming the Hormuz crisis from a regional confrontation into a broader geopolitical standoff involving rival global power blocs. For countries already battling fuel shortages and foreign exchange crises, including Malawi, renewed instability around the Strait of Hormuz could deepen already painful economic conditions.
Key facts
- Main claim: Iran says there are “no international waters” in the Strait of Hormuz
- Who said it: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
- US response: Donald Trump says “the Strait will be opened”
- China’s position: Beijing calls for a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”
- Russia’s warning: Moscow warns fresh strikes on Iran could happen “within hours”
- Strategic importance: Nearly 20% of global oil passes through the strait
- Global concern: Rising fears of renewed confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the US
