US asks China to Stop Iran from Closing Strait of Hormuz

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on China to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

His comments came after Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that parliament had approved a plan to close the Strait but added that the final decision lies with the Supreme National Security Council.

Around 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, with major oil and gas producers in the Middle East using the waterway to transport energy from the region.

China, in particular, is the world’s largest buyer of Iranian oil and has a close relationship with Tehran.

Oil prices rose following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, with the price of the benchmark Brent crude reaching its highest level in five months.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Rubio encouraged the Chinese government in Beijing to call Iran.

He noted that if Iran closes the Strait, it would be economic suicide.

Rubio said the US retains options to deal with potential fallout, and said other countries should be looking at that as well.

He said it would hurt other countries’ economies a lot worse than it would the United States.