The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and other warships cross the Strait of Hormuz in 2023. No country relies more heavily on the strait than China, which receives nearly half of its oil imports through the international waterway. In the meantime, a full blockade of the strait could force China to become more directly involved in a conflict that is already heightening tensions with Washington. Advertisement“If China does that, China is gonna have big problems,” Trump told reporters. Last month, the Trump administration issued a 30-day waiver allowing the sale of Iranian oil already at sea to help contain rising energy prices.

Source: The Times April 12, 2026 20:40 UTC