The Iran-blockaded Strait of Hormuz saw a series of new attacks Thursday, a world away from Beijing, where Donald Trump discussed the Iran war with China's President Xi Jinping.
The latest attacks brought a grim reminder of the costs of a prolonged stalemate, with peace talks virtually stalled.
After Trump and Xi met, a White House official said the leaders had agreed that the strait should be open and that Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons. China is close to Iran and the main buyer of its oil.
In an interview with CNBC in Beijing, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believed China would "do what they can" to help open the strait, which he said was "very much in their interest."
But diplomacy to end the war has been on hold since last week when Iran and the United States each rejected the other's latest proposals, sticking to initial demands that each considers to be "red lines."
