Trump’s Blockade Challenged: China Sends Tanker Through Hormuz Undeterred

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are rising due to the American blockade. Yet, Chinese tankers still risk passing through with cargo, confident that nothing will happen to them.

Photo: Pravda.Ru by Marina Lebedeva is licensed under Free for commercial use

Oil transportation

Chinese Vessel Avoids US Inspection

A sanctioned tanker flying the flag of Malawi, with a Chinese crew and cargo, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. According to data from LSEG, MarineTraffic, and Kpler, the vessel Rich Starry will become the first to pass through the strait and leave the Persian Gulf since the start of the American blockade.

The cargo was loaded in Hamriyah, UAE, meaning it is not an Iranian port. However, this circumstance does not exempt the cargo or the vessel from detention. The United States clarified that neutral ships that did not dock in Iran will not face obstruction, but authorities may search them for prohibited cargo. Therefore, this tanker avoided such a fate.

This appears to be a trial balloon by China to counter the blockade. The next tanker may push the boundaries of what is "permitted” even further.

China Rejects Trump's Ultimatum

Donald Trump knew that China would become the first victim of his blockade, since 90% of Iranian oil is sold there, and last year China purchased more than 80% of Iran's crude oil exports, averaging about 1.38 million barrels per day. In an interview with Fox News, the US president offered Beijing two options: either buy oil from him or from Venezuela.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping chose a third option. On the eve of these events, China's Foreign Ministry stated that China has an agreement with Iran for the free and unhindered passage of Chinese vessels, and it does not intend to abandon the transit of purchased oil. This indicates that China is ready for military confrontation with the United States, despite the fact that Iran does not even rank among the top five oil suppliers to China. In other words, China had the option to quietly step aside-but the "dragon” was provoked enough to step out of the shadows.

US Avoids Direct Confrontation with China

It appears that ahead of his planned visit to China, which has already been postponed once, Donald Trump has no desire to engage in direct confrontation with Xi Jinping. Trump will likely attempt to block vessels from other countries, but he will not dare to block Chinese ships. If China intervenes, its influence in the Middle East will inevitably expand rapidly-and this is precisely the scenario Washington wants to avoid most.

According to Trump, Iranian officials have contacted him, and the second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is expected to take place on April 16. The rapid shift from blockade mode to diplomacy shows that Trump does not want to push the situation toward a critical state for the global economy-or even toward war with China.

According to The New York Times, the subject of the negotiations is uranium enrichment. The United States has demanded that Iran suspend uranium enrichment activities for 20 years, while Iran has reportedly stated that it would agree to do so for no more than five years.