China Bolsters Naval Presence in Strait of Hormuz Amid US Pressure on Iran and Venezuela

In March 2026 the Iranian Revolutionary Guard declared a blockade of ships in the Strait of Hormuz and shipping traffic through the strait was almost completely halted, the article reports.

“The United States is attempting to exert pressure on China through its allies, such as Venezuela and Iran, which places Iranian oil and energy supplies to China at serious risk, especially given the escalating conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s threat to close it to global shipping”

Modern Diplomacy

That blockade followed US and Israeli strikes and caused a sharp surge in global energy prices and major disruptions to global supply chains, negatively affecting regional countries and China.

Modern Diplomacy

The piece calls the scenario a "geopolitical nightmare," notes that approximately 20% of the world’s oil consumption passes through the strait, and warns that complete closure would be catastrophic.

It characterises the US strategy of pressuring China’s allies via measures against Iranian energy as risking "mutual economic suicide" and says the "logic of deterrence" has overridden the "logic of trade."