Featured Image Credit: Carlos Barria - Pool/Getty Images
Topics: US News, China, World News, Politics, Donald Trump
Olivia Burke
Topics: US News, China, World News, Politics, Donald Trump
The US has made an urgent request for assistance from China following America's strikes in Iran.
President Donald Trump stunned the world on Saturday (21 June) after wading into the ongoing conflict and claiming to have wreaked havoc on three major nuclear sites in Iran.
A 125-strong fleet of B-2 stealth bombers dropped explosives on the nation amid rising concerns that the Islamic Republic has been building nuclear weapons.
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Trump has bragged about the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, claiming the targets were 'obliterated' and sustained 'extremely severe damage' - although Iran denies this.
Although it may appear as though the US is currently holding a lot of the cards, Iran has an ace up it's sleeve - its control of the Strait of Hormuz.
It is one of the world's most crucial shipping routes and is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, so its closure could have catastrophic effects across the globe.
And that's where China comes in, as the US are hoping that the country will put pressure on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz in operation.
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The world is waiting with bated breath to see how Iran will respond to the surprise strikes unleashed by the US just days ago, and many suspect the nation will use the Strait of Hormuz to its advantage.
Media reports from the country have suggested that the government are seriously considering closing the 21-mile strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The impact of this would ripple across international waters, as it is a key route for energy supplies which are shuttled around the world.
Nearly half of the world's proven oil reserves are in the Middle East, specifically in Saudi Arabia and Iran - and any disruption to the movement of this oil would likely result in chaos for global energy markets.
20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas supplies pass through this strait, hence why it is considered to be one of the most critical maritime routes when it comes to global energy transit.
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As a result of the threat of the Strait of Hormuz being shutdown, countries are now bracing for a potential spike in oil prices and a drop in the economy.
The potential ramifications of its closure have been hinted at already, as in wake of Operation Midnight Hammer, oil prices spiked and the cost of the benchmark Brent crude soared to its highest amount in five months.
A permanent closure of this waterway has the potential to destabilise several nations.
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Iran's parliament are said to have approved a plan to close the Strait of Hormuz, according to state-run outlet Press TV, sparking panic among politicians.
However, it hasn't been given the green light just yet, as the Supreme National Security Council are said to have the final say so on whether it goes ahead or not.
Although pretty much every country in the world has a stake in this, China would really feel the effects of this closure as the nation is the world's largest buyer of Iranian oil.
That's why US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has made a public plea to President Xi Jinping, urging him to use his country's influence to influence Iran's decision.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday (22 June), the 54-year-old said: "I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them [Iran] about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil.
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"If they [close the Straits]... it will be economic suicide for them. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well.
"It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."
In wake of how well his 'Make America Great Again' slogan caught on with his supporters, Trump is trying to encourage Iran to take a leaf out of the US' book.
Essentially, he's trying to make MAGA happen in the Middle East and following the US' bomb attack, he called for a change in leadership in a post to his online platform, Truth Social.
The commander-in-chief, 79, said: "It’s not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change', but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!"
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sits at the top of the pecking order in Iran and has been both head of state and commander-in-chief since 1989.
But it seems Trump isn't singing from the same hymn sheet as others in his administration, as other government officials contradicted his comment.
Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, previously insisted the strikes on Iran 'was not and has not been about regime change', but rather a 'precision operation' to put a stop to Iran's alleged nuclear development.
Vice President JD Vance shared the same sentiment, stating that the States was 'not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme'.
Secretary of State Rubio also said the nation was 'not looking for war in Iran', despite the actions of the US suggesting otherwise to many.