Here's the latest
• Latest Trump comments: President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran, saying the “bombing starts” again if they don’t come to an agreement, and it will be at a “higher level and intensity than it was before.”
• “Project Freedom” paused: Trump yesterday said the US will pause its effort to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz but will maintain its blockade of Iranian ports. Safe passage through the strait is possible under “new procedures” following the pause, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy said, according to Iranian media.
• China’s role: Iran’s top diplomat is in Beijing for the first face-to-face meeting of the two allies’ foreign ministers since the war began. China, a close partner of Iran and the biggest buyer of Tehran’s crude oil, has called for an end to the conflict. Trump will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week.
Iran’s newspapers today portray a weakening America and a shifting world order
Across Iran’s political spectrum, Wednesday’s front pages – conservative and moderate alike – shared a strikingly similar message: the United States is losing influence, President Donald Trump is weakening America from within, and a new global order is taking shape around confrontation with Washington.
The headlines portrayed US allies in the Gulf as trapped by their alignment with Israel and Washington, and framed the current geopolitical moment as evidence of fading American influence in the Middle East and beyond.
Here’s a look at some of the papers:
Kayhan: One of Iran’s most influential conservative newspapers, widely seen as closely aligned with late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led with the headline: “Trump’s mountain of initiatives gave birth to a mouse! The Strait of Hormuz became narrower.” The phrase “the mountain gave birth to a mouse” is a Persian expression used when something heavily hyped produces weak or disappointing results.
A second story focused on what the paper described as the failure of Trump’s effort to guide ships through the strait, under the headline: “No ships trusted America, and Trump’s plan failed against Iran.”
Shargh: This Tehran-based newspaper, known for its reformist leanings and relatively moderate coverage, focused on the United Arab Emirates – which came under attack this week despite a ceasefire – and relations with China.
Its main headline read: “The UAE caught in Tel Aviv’s trap,” while the subhead said: “Beijing Orders Economic Push Against the US.” The paper framed current geopolitics as an escalating confrontation between China and the US, with Beijing asking its small refineries to ignore US sanctions against Iranian oil, while suggesting regional actors like the UAE are being strategically harmed through alignment with Israel.
Farhikhtegan: This newspaper’s front page portrayed “Trumpism” as a threat to the United States, using Nazi imagery to depict the president as authoritarian, politically weakened and increasingly isolated. The headline read: “Trumpism will spell America’s doom.”
Iran says safe passage through Strait of Hormuz possible after US pauses "Project Freedom"
Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is possible under “new procedures” following the pausing of a short-lived US military operation in the waterway, the Revolutionary Guards’ Navy said on Wednesday, according to Iranian media.
This appears to be Iran’s first reaction to Washington suspending “Project Freedom,” an operation to help guide commercial ships through the strait, which has been under Iranian and US blockades during the course of the war. The US launched the mission on Sunday but halted it on Tuesday, citing progress in peace talks.
The statement did not specify what the new procedures were, but thanked captains and ship owners stationed in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for their cooperation regarding passage through the waterway “in accordance with Iran’s regulations.”
Iran has claimed sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and announced plans to charge vessels for safe transit through the strategic waterway. Many world leaders have warned such a plan would be illegal under maritime law and set a dangerous precedent.
Intransigence from Iran on this matter could threaten a renewed diplomatic push to end the war.
Trump says if agreement isn't reached with Iran, "the bombing starts"
US President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran, saying if they don’t come to an agreement, the “bombing starts” and it will “higher level and intensity than it was before.”
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning.
The president did leave open the door to an agreement, which he said would end the US military operation against the country but added it is possibly a “big assumption” the two sides can come to an agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters yesterday that Operation Epic Fury was already over.
“The operation is over. Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio said during a press briefing.
Trump says there’s “great progress” in Iran talks. Here's how they've gone post-ceasefire
US President Donald Trump says “great progress” has been made in talks with Iran, while pausing an operation to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, despite tensions in recent days related to the waterway.
Here’s a look at what has happened with talks between Tehran and Washington since a ceasefire was agreed to just over four weeks ago:
- April 11: US and Iranian officials meet for face-to-face talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, lasting 21 hours.
- April 12: US Vice President JD Vance announces the sides have “not reached an agreement,” largely because of Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. The leader of the Iranian negotiators, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the US failed to gain the trust of the Iranian side. Later in the day, Trump says the ceasefire is still “holding well.”
- April 13: The US implements a blockade of Iranian ports, as a US official says the US and Iran are still engaged in talks. Trump says that if a deal is not reached by the end of the ceasefire, “it won’t be pleasant” for Iran.
- April 17: After Iran says it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz in response to a separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Trump says the US’ blockade of Iranian ports will continue until a final deal to end the war is agreed. Iran says it will close the strait again if the blockade continues.
- April 18: Iran says it is once again shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the US for “breaches of trust.” Trump says that negotiations are still ongoing but shows frustration, saying Iran “got a little cute” when closing the strait again. Ghalibaf says the US and Iran are “still far from a final agreement” in an interview with state television.
- April 19: Trump says US representatives will be traveling to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations with Iran. Iranian sources familiar with the negotiations tell CNN that a delegation representing Tehran will also be traveling to Pakistan for talks, though Iranian state media reports that Iran’s presence in Islamabad is not confirmed.
- April 20: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says “as of now,” Iran has “no plans for the next round of negotiations.” Trump says it’s “highly unlikely” he will extend the ceasefire, which he says will expire in two days.
- April 21: Trump says he expects to continue bombing Iran if a deal to extend the ceasefire is not reached by the next day. Pakistan’s information minister says he is still trying to convince Iran to participate in talks. In the afternoon, Trump says he will extend the ceasefire until Iran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently.
- April 24: Sources tell CNN that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad in the evening. Trump administration officials also tell CNN that Trump is planning to send a US delegation to Pakistan for talks with Araghchi, but Baghaei says “no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US.”
- April 25: Araghchi meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, then leaves the country in the evening. Trump says he has canceled the US delegation’s scheduled trip to Pakistan, due to “infighting” among Iran’s leadership.
- April 27: Iran’s state media Fars reports that Araghchi gave a list of Iran’s “red lines” to be conveyed to the US during his trip to Pakistan. A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that Iran has put forward a new proposal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz but leaves the state of talks on key US demands unclear. Sources tell CNN that Trump signaled he is not likely to accept the new proposal.
- April 29: Trump says that he has rejected Iran’s proposal of lifting the US blockade and opening the Strait of Hormuz, saying he first wants some guarantees on curbing the Iranian nuclear program. He also says that negotiations to end the war with Iran are happening “telephonically.”
- May 1: Sources familiar with the negotiation process tell CNN that Iran has sent a proposal to Pakistani mediators, which Trump says he is “not satisfied” with. The US leader says his options are to try and make a deal with Iran or “go and just blast the hell out of them.”
- May 2: A senior Iranian military official says renewed conflict with the US is “possible” after Trump rejected Iran’s proposal. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that Tehran has submitted a 14-point response to a US proposal, as Trump says he will soon review a new plan from Iran. He adds that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.”
- May 3: Baghaei says the US has responded to Iran’s proposal and that Tehran is reviewing Washington’s reply, as US special envoy Steve Witkoff tells CNN that his country is “in conversation” with Iran. Trump announces that the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz the next day and says his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran
- May 4: Iran says that “any foreign military force, especially the invading American army … will be attacked” if they try to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz. Later in the day, US Central Command chief Adm. Bradley Cooper tells reporters that the US and Iran have traded shots in the waterway. Trump declines to say if the ceasefire with Iran is still in effect.
- May 5: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists the “ceasefire is not over,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his country’s combat operation launched in February against Iran has ended. Trump announces that the mission to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz will pause, citing “great progress” in talks with Iran.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Kit Maher, Sophia Saifi, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Sophie Tanno, Kevin Liptak, Tim Lister, Aida Karimi, Riane Lumer, Alayna Treene, Elise Hammond, Nadeen Ebrahim, Adam Pourahmadi, Donald Judd, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mitchell McCluskey, Betsy Klein, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nic Robertson, Max Saltman, Lex Harvey, Issy Ronald, Mostafa Salem, Mitchell McCluskey , Natasha Bertrand and Isabelle D’Antonio contributed to this reporting.
Village mayor among 6 killed as Israeli military announces strikes across southern Lebanon
A fresh round of Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed six people and injured three others, Lebanon’s National New Agency (NNA) reported Wednesday.
The Israeli military announced a wave of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure “in several areas” in southern Lebanon after issuing an evacuation order for 12 villages earlier Wednesday, including villages not in southern Lebanon.
An Israeli strike on a house in Zellaya village killed the mayor of the village, along with three of his family members, according to NNA. Three others were injured. The village is in the Beqaa Valley, not in southern Lebanon where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had said it was carrying out strikes.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
Separately, two people were killed in an Israeli strike on Nabatiyah District in southern Lebanon, NNA said.
To date, more than 2,702 people in Lebanon have been killed and more than 8,311 others injured since the start of the current conflict, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Hezbollah has continued to fire drones and rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon after claiming 18 such attacks on Tuesday. Two soldiers were lightly injured by exploding drones on Wednesday, the IDF said.
Oil prices plummet below $100 on optimism of possible peace deal that could reopen strait
Oil prices have fallen below $100 a barrel on reports of a possible peace deal between the United States and Iran that would end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slid 11.7% to $97 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, plunged 13% to $88.90 barrel. Brent last settled below $100 a barrel almost two weeks ago.
The trigger seems to have been news reports that the White House believes Washington and Tehran are close to reaching an agreement to end fighting. Prices had fallen earlier after US President Donald Trump hailed “great progress” towards a deal and also paused his plan, rejected by Iran, to guide ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Bob Yawger, director of futures trading at Mizuho Securities in the United States, said he had doubts about whether a durable peace deal was imminent. “I am skeptical about an agreement for sure. We’ve been down this road before and it’s fallen apart,” he told CNN. On the other hand, he said he was more hopeful than some other analysts that, once there is a deal, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz could resume quickly.
Beijing, meanwhile, reiterated calls for a prompt end to the war, during a meeting today between China’s foreign minister and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and is seen as having some influence over the direction of the conflict. Trump is due travel to Asia’s biggest economy next week for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Iran asserts control over Strait of Hormuz with new website
Iran has launched a website for a new body it says will govern maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, defying American warnings against attempts to control the strategic waterway.
The move is the latest step in Tehran’s effort to formalize control over the international strait, through which ships sailed freely before the war. Iran has also said it will charge tolls for passage, payments some ship operators have reportedly already begun making.
On Tuesday, Iran launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to administer passage. Under the new system, all vessels intending to transit the strait would receive an email from an address linked to PGSA informing them of regulations for passage, according to Iran’s state-owned Press TV.
So far, the website only carries the message: “Welcome to Persian Gulf Strait Authority. The Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The US and its regional allies have repeatedly warned that Tehran cannot be allowed to control the strait or charge for passage, saying it is illegal under international law.
An Iranian parliamentary commission has already approved a plan to charge ships passing through the strait and enforce “Iran’s sovereign role,” a commission member was cited as saying by state media.
US gas prices race past $4.50 for the first time in nearly 4 years
US gas prices jumped up to an average of $4.54 for a gallon of regular in in the latest AAA reading, up more than 5 cents from Tuesday. That marks the highest national average price for gas since July 2022.
Gas has risen 30 cents over the past week and now up 52% since the start of the war in Iran. Prices are rapidly approaching the all-time record of $5.02 set in 2022.
There could be some relief on the way. Oil futures were sharply lower in trading Wednesday, after after US President Donald Trump said there had been “great progress” in diplomatic talks with Iran.
But oil and gas prices have, at times, fallen sharply in recent weeks as traders grew optimistic about peace negotiations with Iran. But those declines have proven to be short-lived.
Oil prices plunge on hopes of US-Iran deal
Oil prices are tumbling and stock markets rallying today on renewed hopes for a US-Iran settlement after President Donald Trump hailed “great progress” in diplomatic talks with Iran.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slid 8% to $101 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, plunged 9.2% to $92.8 a barrel.
Meanwhile, S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq futures all point to a stronger market open, following gains yesterday that took the S&P 500 to a fresh record at the close. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and the CAC 40 in Paris are up more than 2%.
Those rises follow solid gains in Asia, where major indexes closed higher across the board. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 6.45%, driven higher by Samsung’s 14.4% gain, which took the smartphone maker’s market value above $1 trillion for the first time.
The renewed focus on diplomacy comes after Trump paused his plan to guide ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz — a measure that Tehran had responded to with renewed attacks, including on Gulf energy infrastructure.
“The prospect of a permanent peace deal remains highly uncertain, however, and oil looks set to remain very volatile,” said analysts at ING.
China holds key leverage over Iran, but may prefer watching US "sink deeper," expert says
China is one of very few countries with leverage to reopen the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, but may also have an interest “in seeing the US sink deeper,” according to a Middle East expert.
“The Chinese could… play an important role through leverage that they hold over Iran, not only as Iran’s principal customer of oil but also as one of the two nations that shield Iran at the UN Security Council,” said Hasan AlHasan from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
His comments follow Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Beijing today, one week before US President Donald Trump’s planned arrival to meet President Xi Jinping.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirmed China’s belief in Iran’s right to pursue nuclear energy, while also advocating for a ceasefire during their first face-to-face talks with Araghchi.
Sources familiar with the matter said the US war with Iran has potentially strengthened Beijing’s negotiation position over Washington.
Some context: Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in April.
CNN’s Max Feliu contributed to this report.
Trump pauses Strait of Hormuz mission citing “great progress” in talks, as oil prices fall
President Donald Trump said the US will temporarily pause its operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, saying “great progress” has been made in peace talks with Iran.
Iran touted the “US failure to achieve its objectives in the so-called ‘Freedom Project’” in a statement on INSA, a state-run media outlet.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else has been going on in the region:
- Oil prices are falling today after Trump said there had been progress in talks with Iran.
- China’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart in Beijing today that the US and Iran need to agree to a comprehensive ceasefire, while also saying that Tehran has the right to pursue nuclear energy.
- While in China, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that, though Tehran is fully prepared to confront any hostile actions, it is also “serious and steadfast in the field of diplomacy,” Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.
- Israeli strikes were reported on nearly a dozen towns across southern Lebanon yesterday, as Hezbollah claimed it had launched 18 separate attacks on Israeli forces in the past day, the most since the ceasefire began.
- A French shipping firm says crew members aboard one of its cargo ships were injured and the vessel was damaged when it was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo, Hanna Ziady, Sylvie Zhuang, Sophie Tanno, Charbel Mallo, Lucas Lilieholm and Todd Symons contributed to this reporting.
Lufthansa plans price hikes to help pay extra $2 billion jet fuel bill
Lufthansa has warned it will increase ticket prices and cut flights to offset an expected €1.7 billion ($2 billion) increase to its jet fuel bill this year because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Germany’s largest airline group said Wednesday that the continued Middle East conflict is causing “enormous challenges” for the airline industry, and warned that “potentially reduced fuel availability later in the year represents an additional risk factor.”
However, Lufthansa noted that demand for air travel remained high and that it expected a “strong” summer travel season.
Carriers globally, from Qantas and Turkish Airlines to Virgin Atlantic and United, have hiked prices or cut flights, or both, because of the war.
Airlines around the world cut 13,000 flights, or almost 2 million seats, from their May flight schedules, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Pakistan “grateful” to Trump for pausing operation in Strait of Hormuz
Pakistan said it is “grateful” for US President Donald Trump for pausing “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it will lead to a “lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability” for the region.
Trump announced that the US will temporarily pause its operation to guide ships through the waterway while maintaining the blockade, claiming that “great progress had been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, thanked the US president for his decision, adding that was a response to the request of Pakistan and other countries, namely Saudi Arabia.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation,” said Sharif in a post on X.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday, covering the region’s latest developments.
Iran "serious and steadfast in diplomacy," Araghchi tells Chinese counterpart
Iran’s foreign minister held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday morning, during which he was briefed on the latest efforts to end the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi emphasised that while Tehran remains fully prepared to confront any hostile actions, it is also “serious and steadfast in the field of diplomacy,” Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Also during the meeting, Araghchi stressed Tehran’s goal of strengthening relations with China, in the framework of a strategic partnership agreement signed between the two countries in 2021.
During his trip to Beijing, Araghchi also held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, according to Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Oil prices fall on signs of renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war
Oil prices are falling today after US President Donald Trump said there had been “great progress” in diplomatic talks with Iran.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 2.8% to $106.7 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, slipped 3.3% to $98.8 a barrel. The downward moves come after Brent settled at $114.4 a barrel on Monday, its highest closing price this year.
“Clear signals that the US-Iran ceasefire was still in place, even after some recent skirmishes,… helped oil prices to come back down again and ease fears about a renewed escalation,” Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a note.
The renewed focus on diplomacy comes after Trump’s “Project Freedom” plan to guide ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz was met with renewed Iranian attacks, including on a major oil port in the United Arab Emirates. Trump has since paused the measure.
Also today, Beijing reiterated calls for a prompt end to the war, during a meeting between China’s foreign minister and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil. Trump is due travel to Asia’s biggest economy next week for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Stock markets have also been cheered by the diplomatic push. Leading Asian indexes closed higher across the board. In Europe, major indexes in Paris, Frankfurt and London are up about 1.5% in morning trade.
China reiterates calls for peace talks and backs Iran's right to nuclear energy
The US and Iran must forge a comprehensive ceasefire while Tehran has the right to pursue nuclear energy, China’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart in Beijing during their first face-to-face talks since the war upended global energy supplies.
Regarding the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Wang Yi said Beijing “hopes the parties concerned will respond as soon as possible to the strong calls of the international community” to restore normal and safe navigation.
“China believes that a comprehensive cessation of hostilities admits of no delay, that restarting war is even more undesirable, ” he told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, according to an English language readout from Beijing’s foreign ministry.
Wednesday’s meeting comes days before US President Donald Trump is set to make his own visit Beijing.
Crew members of French cargo ship injured after attack in Strait of Hormuz
A French shipping firm says crew members aboard one of its cargo ships were injured and the vessel was damaged when it was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
The CMA San Antonio was transiting the strait yesterday and is thought to have been struck by a projectile.
“The injured crew members have been evacuated and are provided with the necessary medical care,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
“CMA CGM is closely monitoring the situation and remains fully mobilized alongside the crew,” it added.
The maritime agency responsible for the waterway, UKMTO, reported a cargo ship being struck by an “unknown projectile” on Tuesday, without naming the vessel involved.
Strait of Hormuz crisis is harming the world’s most vulnerable countries
CNN’s Lynda Kinkade speaks with Selena Victor, Mercy Corps’ senior director for policy and advocacy, about the humanitarian effect of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran-China cooperation "will be stronger than ever," Tehran's top diplomat says
Iran’s foreign minister said cooperation between his country and China “will be stronger than ever,” Iranian state-affiliated media reported after he held discussions with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing.
During the meeting with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, Abbas Araghchi called Beijing “a sincere friend of Tehran,” Mehr news agency reported.
He also said that, “under current circumstances, cooperation between the two countries will be stronger than ever,” Mehr reported.
ISNA, another Iranian state-linked news agency reported Araghchi had said in the meeting that Tehran would “only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement” with the US.
China has not yet released its official comment on the meeting, which marks the first time the foreign ministers of the close allies have met since the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The talks come ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week.
Why is Iran's top diplomat in China days before Trump's visit?
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his counterpart in Beijing Wednesday, just one week before US President Donald Trump is set to touch down in China.
The first in-person meeting between the two allies’ top diplomats since the war began, Araghchi’s visit to China is the latest stop in his recent diplomatic tour, designed to drum up support for Iran and resolve the conflict with the US.
China has played a significant yet indirect role in the war, providing a financial lifeline to Tehran as its biggest oil importer while also working to mediate the conflict behind the scenes. Trump even suggested Beijing helped get Iran to the negotiating table.
In recent days, US officials have urged China to use its sway with Iran to pressure it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — who has been leading preliminary discussions with the Chinese ahead of Trump’s visit — said in an interview Monday China could do more to allow ships to pass through the strait.
And on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of “trying to hold hostage the global economy.”
At the same time, the US has ramped up economic pressure on China, targeting its so-called teapot refineries which buy sanctioned oil from Iran. In response, Beijing ordered its oil refineries not to comply with or enforce US sanctions.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, Araghchi said cooperation between Iran and China will be “stronger than ever,” calling Beijing “a sincere friend of Tehran,” according to Iranian state media Mehr.
Trump’s trip to China, where he is expected to sit down for a rare in-person meeting with Xi Jinping, is scheduled for May 14-15, according to the White House.
CNN’s Kit Maher, Kevin Liptak, Adam Cancryn, Zachary Cohen, Ross Adkin and John Liu contributed reporting.
