“I’m not asking for any favors because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return,” President Donald Trump said when asked by a reporter on Air Force One whether Chinese President Xi Jinping had made a firm commitment to put pressure on the Iranians to reopen the strait.
Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump about Iran, although China’s foreign ministry called it a conflict “which should never have happened, has no reason to continue.”
The Iranian government is meanwhile proceeding to establish a professional mechanism to manage maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, reported Al Amayadeen. In a post on X, Azizi said the initiative is being developed “within the framework of national sovereignty and the guarantee of international trade security,” and will be unveiled soon. The proposal suggests the establishment of a designated route through the strategic waterway, and that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would be allowed to benefit from the system.
According to Azizi’s statement, the mechanism would include the collection of fees for “specialized services” provided to vessels using the route. He added that the system would not be open to operators of the so-called “Project Freedom,” Trump’s failed operation to re-open the strait using naval escorts.
