Moscow can replace Tehran\u2019s crude supplies to China, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Russia can plug any oil supply gap triggered by the Middle East conflict and help China and other countries withstand US \u201caggressive adventures,\u201d Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, signaling Moscow is ready to offset shortages if Iranian exports are squeezed.\u00a0
\nUS President Donald Trump announced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for roughly 20% of global oil, on Sunday after Pakistani-mediated talks failed to produce a peace deal with Iran. Trump had previously failed to rally European NATO members to help secure Hormuz, which Iran closed to \u201cenemy ships\u201d in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign launched on February 28.\u00a0
\nIran has since demanded recognition of its \u201csovereignty\u201d over the waterway and the right to impose tolls.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
US says Iranian trade through Strait of Hormuz fully halted<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday during his two-day official visit to China, Lavrov said that Russia \u201ccan certainly make up for resource shortages faced by China and other countries\u201d willing to work with Moscow \u201con an equal and mutually beneficial basis.\u201d\u00a0
\nHe said the US and Israel targeted Iran in part over \u201coil markets,\u201d adding Washington is now trying to shape them while backing Israel.
\n\u201cRussia and China, thank God, have all the necessary capabilities \u2013 already in use, in reserve and planned \u2013 to avoid dependence on such aggressive adventures that undermine the global economy and energy markets,\u201d he said.
\nLavrov\u2019s remarks came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Tuesday that China is \u201cnot going to be able to get their oil\u2026 not Iranian oil,\u201d as Washington moves to choke off Tehran\u2019s crude flows through a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. He described China as an \u201cunreliable global partner\u201d for stockpiling oil and limiting exports during the conflict.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Russia strikes key energy deal with Asian BRICS partner<\/p>\n
He added that the blockade would ensure no Chinese or other ships are allowed to pass through the vital waterway, noting that China had been buying more than 90% of Iranian oil, accounting for about 8% of its annual imports.
\nThe move comes as US forces ramp up enforcement in the Strait of Hormuz, deploying more than 10,000 troops and around a dozen naval vessels to halt Iran-linked shipments after talks collapsed.
\nThe US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week, raising hopes for an end to the conflict, which has disrupted global trade and driven up energy prices, but both sides have since traded accusations over unacceptable terms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow can replace Tehran\u2019s crude supplies to China, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Russia can plug any oil supply gap triggered by the Middle East conflict and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33277,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t