US-Iran War Highlights: US, China agree conflict must end, Strait of Hormuz must reopen

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Providing an update about the ongoing American blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military on Friday said it had redirected as many as 75 commercial vessels and disabled four other ships thus far as part of the maritime operation, which came into effect last month, on April 13. 

"An MH-60R Sea Hawk takes off from the flight deck of USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) transiting the Arabian Sea as American forces enforce a maritime blockade against Iran. As of today, 75 commercial vessels have been redirected and 4 have been disabled to ensure compliance," the US Central Command said in a tweet on Friday.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration would soon decide whether to remove sanctions imposed on Chinese oil companies purchasing crude from Iran. The remarks come weeks after Washington sanctioned several independent Chinese refineries accused of buying Iranian oil, including Hengli Petrochemical's refinery in Dalian.

"Well, we talked about that, and I'm going to make a decision over the next few days," Trump told reporters when asked if he would consider removing the sanctions on Chinese oil companies buying Iranian oil.

Pakistan has brought back 11 of its citizens, along with 20 Iranian nationals, who had been aboard vessels intercepted by the United States in international waters, Al Jazeera quoted Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as saying. 

According to Dar, all 31 individuals are in good health. They travelled from Singapore to Bangkok before boarding a flight to Islamabad. The Iranian citizens will be assisted with their onward journey to Tehran after arrival.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India was prepared to offer every possible support for the swift restoration of peace and stability in West Asia, while condemning the recent attacks on the United Arab Emirates. During talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, the Prime Minister also conveyed India's solidarity with the UAE, assuring the Emirati leadership that New Delhi stands firmly beside the country in all circumstances and would continue its support in the future.

"India is ready to extend all possible support for the restoration of peace and stability at the earliest," PM Modi said. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remains committed to ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz and safeguarding commercial shipping through the key maritime route. In a post on X following talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Araghchi said the discussions covered regional developments and described the engagement as 'fruitful'.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing believes the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz can only be resolved through a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” between the United States and Iran.

According to comments carried by China's state-run Xinhua news agency, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed during talks with President Donald Trump that "force cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only right path".

President Donald Trump said the United States and China were aligned on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring the ongoing Middle East conflict to an end, though few details have emerged from his discussions with Beijing, according to Al Jazeera. 

Speaking about the talks, Trump indicated that both sides agreed the strategically vital waterway must remain open and that efforts should be made to stop the war.

However, China appears cautious about taking a deeper role in the tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, despite its heavy reliance on the route for energy supplies. Nearly half of China’s crude oil imports pass through the narrow maritime corridor, making stability in the region a major economic concern for Beijing.

At least 657 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in mid-April, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The ministry said Israeli strikes since March 2 have killed at least 2,951 people and injured 8,988 others across Lebanon.

Of the total casualties, 657 deaths and 1,444 injuries were reported after the ceasefire agreement began, raising concerns over continued violence despite the truce aimed at reducing cross-border hostilities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said that Germany and the US agree that Iran must fully open the Strait of Hormuz and must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

"I had a good phone call with [US President] Donald Trump on his way back from China. We agree: Iran must come to the negotiating table now. It must open the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons," he said in a post on X.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday signalled Tehran's readiness to welcome China if it decides to partake in diplomatic efforts for the resolution of the conflict.

"The mediation process by Pakistan has not failed yet, but it is in a very difficult course, mostly because of the Americans' behaviour and the mistrust which exists between us. We appreciate any country that has the ability to help, particularly China. China has been helpful in the past in the resumption of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"We have very good relations with China. We are strategic partners to each other. We know that the Chinese have good intentions. So anything that can be done by them to help diplomacy would be welcomed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," Araghchi added, while speaking before the press in New Delhi, where he is attending the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.

(With agency inputs)

US President Donald Trump has reiterated that he will support a deal in which Iran suspends its nuclear programme for 20 years, but stressed that any agreement must involve a "real" and enforceable commitment.

(With Reuters inputs)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is currently on a visit to New Delhi to attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting, has said that Iran is keen to continue and expand its energy partnership with India. "Iran is interested in continuing energy business with India." he said.

(With Reuters inputs)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reiterated Tehran's claim that all vessels, except those linked to countries "at war" with Iran, are free to pass through the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz. "All vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those at war with us," he said on Friday. He is in New Delhi to attend the ongoing BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.

(With Reuters inputs)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there were sharp exchanges between Iran and the United Arab Emirates during the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi as tensions over the Iran war spilled into the summit. Lavrov argued that the crisis was triggered by “unprovoked aggression” by the US and Israel against Iran and insisted Tehran was not responsible for the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Lavrov said calls for Iran to reopen Hormuz ignored the root cause of the conflict, adding that there had been no issue in the strategic waterway before the war began. He accused Washington of pursuing geopolitical and oil interests in the region, while stressing that Iran “was not the country that blocked the Strait of Hormuz.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Pakistan was currently helping facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran to resolve urgent issues, but suggested India could emerge as a long-term mediator because of its diplomatic experience and ties across rival blocs.

Speaking at the end of the two-day BRICS meeting in New Delhi, Lavrov said India’s global standing and diplomatic outreach positioned it to potentially play a stabilising role in future negotiations over the Iran crisis.

The United Arab Emirates on Friday said that it will speed up construction of a new oil pipeline aimed at doubling its export capacity through Fujairah by 2027, significantly boosting its ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed directed the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to fast-track the West-East Pipeline project during an executive committee meeting on Friday.

The pipeline is currently under construction and is expected to become operational in 2027, the statement said.

Iranian media reported that more than 30 ships were allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz overnight, including vessels linked to Chinese companies. The reports suggested Tehran was adopting a new strategy for managing the key waterway, describing the strait as “open to all commercial ships” that cooperate with Iranian naval forces.

US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had offered China’s help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and assured him that Beijing would not provide military equipment to Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel.

Speaking after his summit with Xi in Beijing, Trump said the Chinese leader wanted the strategically crucial waterway to remain open and had expressed willingness to assist in easing tensions. Trump also said Xi had “strongly” conveyed that China would not send military aid to Iran.

As PM Modi travelled to UAE today, Araghchi in New Delhi accused Abu Dhabi of being actively involved in the war against Iran, escalating tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi.

Speaking during the BRICS summit, the Iranian minister alleged that the UAE was “directly involved in the aggression against my country”, though he did not publicly provide details to support the claim.