Iran’s foreign minister to travel to China as Strait of Hormuz tensions simmer
by Vaughn Cockayne · The Washington TimesIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Beijing Tuesday, marking his first meeting with his Chinese counterpart since the start of the war with the U.S. and Israel.
Mr. Araghchi will meet with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations and “regional and international developments,” according to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry posted on Telegram.
The meeting is part of a broader diplomatic tour Mr. Araghchi has undertaken over the past few weeks. The diplomat has visited Oman, Pakistan and Russia, meeting with other foreign ministers and leaders to discuss the war.
China is Iran’s largest trading partner, purchasing at least 90% of the Islamic republic’s crude oil exports. The war has put intense pressure on China’s economy, and Beijing has reportedly worked behind the scenes to encourage Iran to continue negotiating with the U.S.
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence suggests China has shipped some missiles to Iran and has allowed its companies to provide material support to Tehran.
The visit is one week before President Trump’s summit with China’s President Xi Jinping, which was postponed due to the Iran war. The Iran war is likely to be an important issue during the talks, and Beijing may be able to break through the stalled diplomatic progress that has thus far been facilitated by Pakistan.
SEE ALSO: Iran official warns the U.S., says it violated the ceasefire and cannot withstand pain
The meeting also comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran that threaten to destroy the already fragile ceasefire signed in April.
Iranian officials have already accused the U.S. of violating the agreement by instituting their own counterblockade last month, which turned away any ship entering or exiting Iranian ports.
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Mr. Trump this week announced “Project Freedom,” which would offer guidance for ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command, which coordinates U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said that at least two U.S.-flagged ships moved through the strait on Monday, and shipping giant Maersk said one of its ships successfully transited the strait.
Iran has denied that any ships made it through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and reasserted its threat to attack commercial vessels that try to make it through. Iran has kept the strait effectively closed for over two months using similar threats.
The strait’s closure has put significant pressure on international energy prices, which have in turn driven U.S. gas prices to their highest point in years. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas is $4.43.
SEE ALSO: Iran threatens ships as Trump launches mission to reopen Strait of Hormuz
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.