Le président américain Donald Trump said on Thursday that his patience with Iran was "running out" after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and further maritime incidents near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the White House, Trump and Xi agreed during their talks in Beijing on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, a strategic waterway through which a significant portion of the world's oil passes. Iran has severely restricted navigation in this area since the start of the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
In an interview broadcast on Fox News, Trump warned that Tehran needed to quickly "make a deal".
"I'm not going to show much more patience," he said.
Diplomatic talks remain stalled, with Iran refusing to abandon its nuclear program and its stockpile of enriched uranium. The United States suspended its direct strikes last month but maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.
These statements come as a new vessel is reported to have been seized by Iranian forces off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The maritime crisis in the Gulf continues to fuel concerns about global energy supplies.
China, the main buyer of Iranian oil and a strategic partner of Tehran, now appears as a central player in efforts to avoid an escalation of the conflict and to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Community
Comments
Comments are open, but protected against spam. Initial posts and comments containing links undergo manual review.
Be the first to comment on this article.