Iran-Israel War: US urges China to stop Iran from shutting Strait of Hormuz - 'economic suicide for them'

Iran-Israel War: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on China to encourage Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz after Washington carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Rubio's remarks came after Iran's Press TV reported that the Islamic Republic's parliament has approved the measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which around 20 per cent of global oil and gas flows.

"I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser.

Rubio spoke on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" show

"If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."

Iran has long threatened to choke the Strait of Hormuz. Soon after the military strikes on the country’s three nuclear sites by its long-time foe, the United States, Hossein Shariatmadari, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative, reportedly called for immediate retaliation, including closing the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French ships.

Rubio said a move to close the strait would be a massive escalation that would merit a response from the US and others.

Where is Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. The Strait serves as the primary export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait.

This Strait allows about 20 per cent of the world’s daily oil consumption—around 20 million barrels—to pass through it.

The Strait has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades, and recently, attacks have occurred near it and targeted alternative routes for oil bypassing Hormuz, news agency Reuters said.

The US officials said on Sunday that it's military "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites using 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. The strikes mark an escalation in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, with Israel beginning to strike Iran on June 13.

Israeli strikes on Iran have so far killed at least 950 people, wounded 3,450 others, news agency AP quoted a human rights group as saying.

Tehran has vowed to defend itself. Rubio also warned against retaliation, saying such an action would be "the worst mistake they have ever made."

 The US Secretary of State said US was prepared to talk with Iran.

(With Reuters inputs)