Three Chinese Ships Successfully Cross the Strait of Hormuz

The Chinese government has confirmed that three vessels owned by China successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid the blockade of the narrow strait. 'After coordinating with relevant parties, three Chinese ships recently crossed the Strait of Hormuz,' said Mao Ning, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday. Two container ships owned by the Chinese shipping giant Cosco, namely the CSCL Indian Ocean, crossed the strait at around 09:14 GMT on Monday (30/3), followed 27 minutes later by the CSCL Arctic Ocean, according to data from the MarineTraffic ship tracking platform. Both passed near Larak Island, controlled by Iran, and were heading to Port Klang in Malaysia. 'We express our appreciation for the assistance from relevant parties. The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters are important routes for international trade in goods and energy,' Mao Ning added. Mao Ning stated that China calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities to restore peace and stability in the Gulf region. Cosco said it continues bookings for shipments from Asia to several Gulf countries, albeit without using routes crossing Hormuz. The Shanghai-based company suspended bookings for services through the strait in early March due to the war. Previously, Iran's National Security Commission in parliament approved a plan to impose transit tariffs using Iran's national currency for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. According to a report from the Fars news agency, one commission member, Mojtaba Zarei, stated that the draft law also includes restrictions on ships associated with the United States and Israel crossing the strait. Additional provisions in the draft will also prohibit access for countries joining unilateral sanctions against Iran. Although approved at the committee level, the draft still requires a full vote in parliament, review by the Guardian Council, and signing by the president to become law. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran's demand for the US to recognise Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, in ongoing negotiations, is unacceptable. Regional tensions continue to rise since Israel and the United States launched joint strikes against Iran on 28 February, killing more than 1,340 people, including the then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which host US military assets. The escalation around Iran has also caused a de facto blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas from Persian Gulf countries to global markets. The Strait of Hormuz has experienced effective disruptions since early March, with around 20 million barrels of oil passing through daily, or about 20% of global supply, driving up fuel prices in most countries worldwide. Oil futures prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) rose more than 3% following the news and traded at $106.05 per barrel at 23:37 GMT (06:37 WIB). Brent crude traded at $115.35 per barrel at 23:06 GMT (06:06 WIB), up 2.57%.