Hope It Plays More Active Role': Rubio Urges China To Pressure Iran As Persian Gulf Crisis Impacts Ships

Last Updated:May 14, 2026, 07:02 IST

Marco Rubio urged China to pressure Iran to ease tensions in the Persian Gulf, warning that the crisis threatens Asian energy security and global trade.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged China to play a bigger diplomatic role in pressuring Iran amid escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, warning that the ongoing crisis could destabilise global trade and severely impact Asian economies dependent on energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One, Rubio said Chinese commercial interests were already being affected by the crisis.

“We’ve made the argument to the Chinese, and I hope it’s compelling, and they’ll have a chance to do something about it at the United Nations later this week when there’s a resolution just condemning Iran on what they’re doing with the Straits," Rubio said.

‘CHINESE SHIPS ARE STUCK’

Rubio claimed that disruptions in the Persian Gulf had already impacted Chinese shipping activity and referenced a recent incident involving a Chinese cargo vessel.

“The Chinese have ships stuck in the Persian Gulf because setting up a system that says we’re going to let certain ships through but others not, it’s easier said than done," he said.

Referring to a reported strike involving a Chinese cargo ship, Rubio added, “You saw a Chinese cargo ship got hit over the weekend. I’m sure Iran didn’t do it, but they did it. It happened. And so that’s why these Chinese ships are stuck in there."

He further argued that instability in the Strait region posed a direct threat to Asian economies because of their heavy reliance on energy imports moving through the area.

“It threatens to destabilise Asia more than any other part of the world because it’s heavily reliant on the Straits for energy," Rubio said.

RUBIO LINKS CRISIS TO CHINA’S EXPORT ECONOMY

Rubio also warned that prolonged disruption in maritime trade routes could hurt China’s export-driven economy.

“China’s economy is export-driven, meaning its economy is fueled not by what they consume domestically, but by what they make and sell to other countries," he said.

“Well, of all the countries of the world, economies are melting down because of this crisis in the Straits. They’re going to be buying fewer Chinese products, and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously."

Calling for greater Chinese involvement, Rubio said, “So it’s in their interest to resolve this. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf."

IRAN, TRADE AND TAIWAN LIKELY ON US-CHINA SUMMIT AGENDA

According to an Associated Press report, the issue of Iran and the wider Middle East conflict is expected to figure prominently in upcoming discussions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump as both countries attempt to maintain stable bilateral ties despite continuing tensions across multiple fronts.

The report noted that while both Washington and Beijing have described relations as “broadly stable" in recent months, disputes over trade, advanced technology restrictions and Taiwan remain unresolved.

The report added that ending the war involving Iran was likely to become part of the summit agenda, with Beijing viewed by some as an “unofficial mediator" because of its close economic and political relationship with Tehran.

Quoting Henrietta Levin, senior fellow for China Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the AP report said, “On both sides, there is a consensus that US-China stability is important."

However, she also cautioned that breakthroughs remained unlikely.

TRADE TENSIONS AND IRAN SANCTIONS REMAIN KEY FLASHPOINTS

The AP report further detailed how the prolonged US-China trade war continues to cast a shadow over ties between the two powers.

It noted that tariff escalations during Trump’s presidency had once pushed duties on Chinese goods as high as 145 per cent, before both sides agreed to a temporary truce.

According to AP, China has also introduced new rules aimed at countering foreign sanctions targeting Chinese firms.

The report cited an example in which China’s Ministry of Commerce instructed affected companies, including a petroleum refinery purchasing Iranian crude oil, to ignore US sanctions.

The report additionally highlighted that Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in US-China relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told Rubio that Taiwan continued to be the “biggest risk" to bilateral ties.

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