Rubio says China has not aided Iran in conflict

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States has seen no evidence of China providing military assistance to Iran during the ongoing regional crisis, while urging Beijing to support international efforts aimed at restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio’s said this during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing after lawmakers questioned him about China’s relationship with Iran and whether Beijing had provided support during recent hostilities.

“I would say that China has not provided any assistance to Iran in any way impeded our operations or ability to operate,” Rubio told lawmakers.

The Secretary acknowledged that Iran possesses military equipment of Chinese origin and maintains longstanding ties with Beijing, but said Washington had not observed any recent Chinese actions that altered the military balance during the conflict.

“We have seen no signs in the short term that during this situation that anything they’ve been providing them has in any way changed the dynamic in the battlefield,” Rubio said.

Rubio described China’s approach as cautious, suggesting Beijing has sought to avoid becoming directly involved in the crisis despite its broader strategic relationship with Tehran.

“I think they’ve been quite cautious about engaging themselves in it,” he said.

At the same time, Rubio called on China to play a more constructive role at the United Nations, particularly regarding efforts to address disruptions affecting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Rubio, Washington is backing a UN Security Council resolution designed to address the situation in the strategic waterway, which handles a substantial portion of global oil shipments.

“If, in fact, they are against the closure of the Straits, they should be endorsing this or at a minimum, abstaining and not using a veto of it,” Rubio said.

The Secretary argued that China has significant economic incentives to support efforts aimed at restoring stability because of its dependence on global trade and energy flows.

“As time goes on, the Chinese economy will begin to be negatively impacted by what the Iranians are doing,” Rubio said.

He noted that China remains one of the world’s largest trading nations and warned that prolonged disruptions in maritime routes could affect both energy supplies and export markets.

“For an export-driven economy like China, to have countries around the world ability to purchase diminish as more of that goes towards fuel, that will begin to have an impact on their exports as well,” Rubio said.

Rubio also revealed that a vessel bound for China had recently been struck during the crisis, underscoring the risks posed by continued instability in regional shipping lanes.

The comments offered a rare glimpse into Washington’s current assessment of China’s role in one of the world’s most closely watched geopolitical flashpoints.

For India, the developments are particularly significant because both China and India are major importers of energy transported through the Gulf. Any prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could affect crude oil prices, shipping costs and supply chains across Asia.

IANS