U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday on social media that "many countries" would send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, without offering any details.
"Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He added that "the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"
On the same day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and under control of the IRGC Navy.
The strait is only closed for vessels belonging to the U.S., Israel and their allies, the statement said, adding that once their navigation or crossing is detected, they will become targets of attack.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed the message, telling U.S. media that the strait remains open for international shipping except for vessels belonging to Iran's enemies and their allies. While some ships avoid the waterway due to security concerns, many tankers continue to pass through.
He stressed that there are still oil tankers and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed that a Turkish-owned ship was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Iran.
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers have crossed the strait and are on their way to India. The two ships are expected to arrive at Indian ports soon, sources said, adding that the passage was "extremely cautious".
Trump vows to get Hormuz Strait open soon while Iran says Hormuz not closed but under control
Trump vows to get Hormuz Strait open soon while Iran says Hormuz not closed but under control
China has expressed grave concern over a draft revision of the European Union (EU)'s Cybersecurity Act, stating that it politicizes trade and economic issues and overstretches the concept of security, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.
China formally submitted its comments to the European Commission on April 17, outlining its serious concerns and official position, a ministry spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, the draft introduces highly subjective and arbitrary "non-technical risks" in the name of cybersecurity and supply chain security.
In particular, the draft would identify "countries posing cybersecurity concerns" and "high-risk suppliers," and exclude listed countries and suppliers from relevant EU supply chains across 18 sectors, including energy, transport, and information and communications technology, according to the spokesperson.
In the comments submitted to the European Commission, China pointed out that the draft may violate basic World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, including the principle of most-favored-nation treatment and the principle of national treatment, as well as the EU's specific commitments on trade in services.
The draft is also suspected of exceeding the EU's legal authority by encroaching on member states' exclusive powers in managing national security affairs.
If adopted, it would cause substantive harm to China-EU economic and trade relations, severely disrupt global industrial and supply chains, and weigh on the EU's own digital and green transition, said the spokesperson.
China has urged the EU to remove provisions related to "countries posing cybersecurity concerns" and "non-technical risks," and to delete or substantially revise the criteria for identifying "high-risk suppliers" and the related restrictive measures.
China also expressed hope that the EU will give due consideration to the submitted comments and proposed revisions, strictly abide by WTO rules, avoid discriminatory restrictive measures, and safeguard the stability and smooth operation of China-EU and global industrial and supply chains.
China will closely follow the progress of the draft revision and stands ready to engage in dialogue with the EU on the matter, the spokesperson said, warning that should the EU insist on turning the draft into law and discriminate against Chinese companies, China would have to take corresponding countermeasures.
China hopes the EU will not underestimate China's firm resolve to safeguard national interests and the lawful rights and interests of its companies, and to prevent China-EU economic and trade ties from backsliding, according to the spokesperson.
China voices grave concern over draft revision of EU Cybersecurity Act
