The Chinese news outlet Caixin reported on Thursday that a Chinese-owned ship, openly marked as such, was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, days before the Iranian foreign minister visited Beijing to discuss his country’s ongoing conflict with the United States.
The Caixin report, citing sources familiar with the situation, did not identify any perpetrators of the attack, though it did note that Iran’s terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was intentionally targeting random civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz to disrupt global commerce and had targeted a French company’s ship on Wednesday.
The allegedly targeted Chinese ship in question was believed to be departing the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has been the subject of sustained Iranian bombing since the United States launched “Operation Epic Fury” to disable Iran’s ability to continue engaging in and funding terrorism around the world. Reuters, citing Caixin, reported on Thursday that the ship in question bore a mark reading “CHINA OWNER & CREW” while it passed through the Strait in an apparent attempt to avoid being targeted.
An anonymous source speaking to Caixin, apparently on behalf of Chinese shippers, lamented that the attack was “psychologically very hard to accept.”
Iran and the United States have been embroiled in an unofficial war since February 28, when “Operation Epic Fury” killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. American and Israeli military activities have since killed dozens of senior Iranian leaders, while Iran has focused on bombing perceived American allies in the region such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, as well as some isolated and seemingly random attacks on countries such as Azerbaijan, which the Iranian regime has denied.
As part of its attempts to protect itself, the Iranian regime also launched an operation to prevent regular commercial shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important transit routes for crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) in the world. President Donald Trump announced in response a blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait, which is believed to remain ongoing, and “Project Freedom,” a plan to escort commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz that the president said had been paused this week. The president is also observing an indefinite ceasefire of attacks directly on Iran to allow for negotiations to continue between Washington and Tehran, currently mediated by the government of Pakistan.
The interruption of regular ship traffic in the Strait has been especially economically devastating to China, as it is Iran’s top oil customer and one of the top recipients of ships navigating the strait from other countries as well. In March, Iranian leaders claimed that they would not target Chinese ships, but interruptions have continued.
The conflict has also damaged China’s status as one of the world’s most influential diplomatic powers. It is widely considered the leading country in BRICS, an anti-American security and trade coalition that also includes Russia, Brazil, India, and South Africa. Iran and the UAE are both full BRICS member nations, a fact that has not stopped Iran from consistently bombing oil facilities in the UAE – many of which service China and other BRICS nations. China also brokered the normalization of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023, which did not prevent Iran from launching a separate missile and drone campaign against Saudi Arabia in March.
The Chinese government has not confirmed the Caixin report at press time. During his regular press briefing on Thursday, however, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that the Communist Party was “deeply concerned” about Iranian attacks on the UAE in response to a question about Iran bombing the country’s Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone this week, which services a variety of Asian clients, including China. Beijing has further invested millions in improving the transport of oil in the UAE, including with attempts to bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely.
“China is deeply concerned over the attacks on the UAE and firmly opposes moves that escalate tensions in the region,” spokesman Lin said. “China has all along believed that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the Middle East and Gulf countries should be earnestly respected, and civilians and non-military assets should be protected.”
“The pressing priority is to realize an immediate and full ceasefire and prevent further spread of the conflict,” Lin insisted.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing on Wednesday to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who reportedly pressured the Iranians to open the strait.
“Regarding the strait issue, the international community shares a common concern over restoring normal safe passage through the strait. China hopes that the parties concerned will respond promptly to the strong calls of the international community,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted in a statement following their meeting.
Wang reportedly insisted on a “complete” end to the conflict between Iran and America.
The Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday that no major commercial ships had passed the Strait at all within the last 24 hours.
“The latest stoppage came after Beijing-based news outlet Caixin reported that a Chinese-owned large oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, in the first such incident involving a Chinese vessel since the war began,” Anadolu observed.
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