Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday expressed willingness to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. President Donald Trump following a summit in Beijing. The two leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring free navigation through the strategically critical waterway to support global energy supplies amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.

During their talks, Xi reportedly pledged that China would refrain from supplying military equipment to Iran amid its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. Trump stated that Xi conveyed a desire to see the Strait of Hormuz accessible and offered Chinese assistance in achieving that goal.

The announcement came as Iranian naval forces permitted a convoy of up to 30 Chinese vessels to transit the strait under protocols managed by Tehran. Iranian authorities confirmed that Beijing had requested the transit, highlighting the deepening maritime cooperation between the two nations.

The developments follow a series of escalations in the region, including Iran’s recent seizure of several ships. Last week, Iranian forces boarded the Ocean Koi, a tanker accused of attempting to disrupt Iranian oil exports and interests. The vessel, apprehended in the Gulf of Oman and taken to southern Iran, had been sanctioned by the United States in February for allegedly participating in a "shadow fleet" transporting Iranian oil despite international restrictions.

Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir defended the seizures, asserting that Iran had the legal and judicial right to detain vessels linked to the U.S., which Tehran accused of violating international maritime laws and committing acts it described as piracy.

Compounding regional tensions, India issued a formal condemnation on Thursday following an attack on the MSV Haj Ali, an Indian-flagged dhow. The 54-meter vessel was reportedly hit by a drone or missile strike while carrying livestock from Somalia to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates near the coast of Limah, Oman. The attack caused a fire that forced the crew of 14 to abandon ship before it sank.

India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the attack as unacceptable and lamented the continued targeting of commercial shipping and civilian mariners amid the escalating maritime conflict in the area.

As international stakeholders call for the de-escalation of hostilities, the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of geopolitical tensions, given its critical role in global oil transportation and the competing influences of regional and global powers.