Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is holding talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing as tensions with the United States mount over the Strait of Hormuz.Araghchi’s visit on Wednesday comes a week before US President Donald Trump visits Beijing for a summit with President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listChina’s official Xinhua news agency reported the meeting between Araghchi and Wang had begun, without providing further details.Araghchi’s visit to Beijing marks his first visit to China – a close ally of Tehran – since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. Araghchi had spoken with Wang by telephone at least three times following the breakout of hostilities.Earlier in Washington, DC, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called on Beijing to press Iran to lift its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.Iran in effect closed the strait – through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass – after the war began, pushing fuel and fertiliser prices sharply higher and prompting fears of a global recession.Following a ceasefire in April, the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports in a bid to compel Tehran to agree to Washington’s terms in peace talks.The war has also strained relations between Washington and Beijing, with the US sanctioning Chinese companies it accuses of purchasing billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. Beijing hit back on Saturday, with the Ministry …
