US asks China to stop Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz (www.bbc.com)
from babysandpiper@sopuli.xyz to world@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 11:05
https://sopuli.xyz/post/29258414

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.

Any disruption to the supply of oil would have profound consequences for the economy. China in particular is the world’s largest buyer of Iranian oil and has a close relationship with Tehran.

#world

threaded - newest

psx_crab@lemmy.zip on 23 Jun 11:11 next collapse

US probably shouldn’t fuck with people who got the leverage on the economy, but alas, common sense isn’t always available when conservative is ruling.

Anomalocaris@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 11:33 next collapse

given how rare common sense is, it no longer works as an expression

NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io on 23 Jun 11:38 next collapse

common sense isn't always available when conservative is ruling.

It wasn't when liberals were ruling either (see: Gulf of Aden). This is an imperialism thing, not a conservative thing (though conservatives are worse about it).

noride@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 13:21 next collapse

Everyone knew Iran would shut the straight, this is all just subterfuge for loosening restrictions on Russian oil purchases because “we have no other options”.

peoplebeproblems@midwest.social on 23 Jun 14:31 collapse

Idk something tells me China would happily buy Russian oil sanction or not. Especially if their main source is disrupted.

kablammy@sh.itjust.works on 23 Jun 21:45 collapse

Oh that would be so funny if the USA announces removing restrictions on Russian oil because of this, only for China to immediately sign a deal with Russia to take the lot.

shalafi@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 17:46 next collapse

Iran has got jack for leverage. There is a binary choice here:

A) Shutdown the Straight. Get fucking wrecked by the US military, or a coalition.

B) Posture but don’t actually shut it down.

You don’t fuck with international trade.

shplane@lemmy.world on 24 Jun 13:23 collapse

They’ll just use it as an excuse to bomb Iran some more

Reverendender@sh.itjust.works on 23 Jun 11:16 next collapse

China:

<img alt="" src="https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/136af9df-ec5c-43be-a08a-0e6bd29e7828.gif">

fluxion@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 12:01 next collapse

Stupid fucking bozos

ininewcrow@lemmy.ca on 23 Jun 13:45 collapse

The Chinese government sitting around the phone with the US on hold …“how long should we make them wait?”

“Give them another hour, it’s already been two” (another round of belly busting laugher)

wewbull@feddit.uk on 23 Jun 11:16 next collapse

Oh no, not the oil!

/s

Anomalocaris@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 11:34 next collapse

maybe stopping the oil addiction was not only for the environment, but a matter of national defense.

regedit@feddit.online on 23 Jun 11:50 next collapse

I think there were intelligence officials that echoed this same sentiment years ago.

Anomalocaris@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 11:54 collapse

There’s no reason for this oil dependency,

Right wing nationalists push for energy independence Environmentalists push for not destroying the place we live Healt advocates push for better air quality …

but Oil shareholders like money so fuck everyone else.

NABDad@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 13:22 collapse

Imagine for a moment if the fortune spent on the failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was instead invested in reducing our dependence on oil.

Anomalocaris@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 13:36 collapse

sounds horrible, imagine trillions going to improving the country and helping people instead of being funneled into the pocket of the wealthiest people in the country.

what a nightmare…

flandish@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 11:49 next collapse

oh no. anyway.

melsaskca@lemmy.ca on 23 Jun 11:54 next collapse

america helped israel so now China has to help america. Donald Trump better say Thank you.

rickdg@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 12:03 next collapse

China: have you tried not bombing them?

cRazi_man@europe.pub on 23 Jun 12:43 next collapse

America: I can’t believe you would say something so fucking stupid.

ininewcrow@lemmy.ca on 23 Jun 13:25 collapse

America: … (pretending to make static sounds, muffling their voice like it’s a bad connection)… WHAT’S THAT??! … we’ve got a bad connection … did you say … BOMB THEM MORE? … (keeps pretending to make static sounds)

spirinolas@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 18:18 collapse

America: Come on, you’re pulling that one out of nowhere. That can’t be the reason, we bomb people all the time!

ramenbelly@lemmy.zip on 23 Jun 12:03 next collapse

I lose my appetite instantly, whenever I see Rubios face .

eddanja@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 12:14 next collapse

It’s a good thing they kept coal alive. Can’t wait for my coal driven Ford soccer mom car to release. Little Jimmy and little Linda in the back seat might have to get their hands dirty throwing fistfuls of coal in the furnace, but it will be good for them. Builds character!

ininewcrow@lemmy.ca on 23 Jun 15:27 collapse

Make … (cough, cough, cough) … America … (cough, HACK, ACK) …Great … (cough, hack, wheeze, cough, hack)… Again

ramble81@lemmy.zip on 23 Jun 12:22 next collapse

In the meantime, China is going all in on EVs thus reducing their dependence on oil…. Gee, wonder what leverage that gives them.

Buelldozer@lemmy.today on 23 Jun 14:11 collapse

China imports 1.3 to 1.8 million barrels of oil per day from Iran, roughly 16% of its total. It’s not just oil either, China is a heavy importer of other Iranian petrochemicals.

China’s EVs give them very little leverage at this point.

huquad@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 22:12 collapse

Remind me in 5 years

Bonus@piefed.social on 23 Jun 13:21 next collapse

Setting arrangements of that sort in place ahead of time would be called diplomacy.

magnetosphere@fedia.io on 23 Jun 13:28 next collapse

Gotta spread that blowback around

Buelldozer@lemmy.today on 23 Jun 14:06 next collapse

Reading these comments seriously makes me wonder how many of y’all read the article. The US doesn’t need Iranian oil but China DOES.

A dwindling supply of oil through the Strait and rising oil prices damages China and buoys the United States. If China doesn’t want to put any effort into keeping the Strait open it’s going to hurt them far more than it will hurt anyone else.

TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com on 23 Jun 14:53 collapse

China gets their Iranian oil from trains not boats.

This is not the US trying to help China.

PlantPowerPhysicist@discuss.tchncs.de on 23 Jun 19:54 collapse

it’s such a weird thing for the US to say, too - like China needs them to point out what their own interests are

aeronmelon@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 14:07 next collapse

Tune in next week for part 2 of the US-Iran war: “And Find Out.”

aseriesoftubes@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 14:10 next collapse

I hope Iran waits until a couple months before the midterms to close the Strait. Nothing like sky-high oil prices to swing an election.

NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io on 23 Jun 14:45 collapse

Isn't that more than a year away? If Netanyahu and his stooges have their way there won't be an Iran by then.

vga@sopuli.xyz on 23 Jun 14:14 next collapse

How about moving to non-fossil alternatives? Like 4 decades ago? Gee that would’ve been a great idea.

scarabic@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 18:32 next collapse

I’m confused… China is dependent on oil imports flowing through the strait of Hormuz. Much more so than the US is. In fact the US maintains a naval presence in the region specifically so they’d have the capability to block that strait and starve China of oil. China produces very little oil of their own, though they have coal up the wazoo. Blocking that strait is the US’s main card to play if China invade Taiwan.

cornshark@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 18:47 collapse

Right, so how can the US close it if Iran closes it first? We need China to keep it open, so that then the US can close it to hurt China.

wanderwisley@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 20:49 collapse

Waaaa crybabies!