China: US and Israeli Strikes on Iran Behind Closure of Hormuz Strait

SadaNews - China announced on Thursday that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran are the "root cause" of the closure of the Hormuz Strait, following a call by US President Donald Trump for affected countries to secure this vital waterway.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference in response to a question about Trump's statements that the "original reason for the disruption of navigation through the Hormuz Strait is the illegal military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran."

The US president had called on countries importing oil through the Hormuz Strait to "seize it, protect it, and use it" for their benefit.

In response, the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Ibrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces' unified command known as (Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters), as saying on Thursday that Tehran will continue the war until the US and Israel feel "perpetual regret and surrender."

This warning came after Trump threatened to hit Iran "very hard" within the next two to three weeks, as the United States moves toward achieving all its military goals of the war.

Zolfaghari added that the assessment of Iran's military capabilities by the United States and Israel is "incomplete." He continued by saying that Iran will escalate military operations with "more crushing, extensive, and destructive" attacks on its enemies.