US calls on China to prevent Iran from blocking crucial trade route

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to help prevent Iran from shutting the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade corridor, following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

"I urge the Chinese government in Beijing to speak with them, since China heavily relies on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz," Rubio said during an interview on Fox News.

Experts have warned that Iran may respond to the US strikes by attempting to block the Strait, a narrow waterway that handles about 20% of the world's oil trade.

"If they do that, it would be a grave miscalculation. It would amount to economic suicide for Iran, and we have options to address it," Rubio added.

He continued, "Other nations should be concerned as well — their economies would suffer even more than ours. It would represent a major escalation that would demand a response not only from us but potentially from others as well."

In a separate development, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that US military bases in the region could become "legitimate targets" for Iranian forces.

It remains uncertain whether the US strikes will push Tehran toward de-escalation or further intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, China, along with Russia and several Arab nations, has condemned the US attacks, accusing Washington of further inflaming tensions in the Middle East.