WASHINGTON: China won't help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz as requested by President Donald Trump, but it is probably welcoming the delay in Trump's highly anticipated trip to Beijing as the U.S. risks getting bogged down in the Middle East, analysts say. The latest developments are unfolding as Trump's Iran war, in its third week, is faced with mounting pressure as oil has stopped moving through the strait and U.S. allies have refused to step up to secure the strait.

Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran is open to helping other countries' safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.