By DPA
Some 30 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since last night, a commander of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday.
The commander stressed vessels linked to “an enemy state” continued to be barred from transiting the waterway, according to comments carried by the Fars news agency.
According to the Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the IRGC, Chinese vessels were among the ships that made it through the Strait overnight.
They were allowed to transit following intensive efforts by both countries, with close bilateral relations and a strategic partnership playing a decisive role, according to the report.
Tasnim did not give a specific number of vessels but only reported on “a series of Chinese ships” that passed through the Strait of Hormuz after coordinating with Iran.
China and Iran have long been considered close allies, much to the chagrin of Washington, which has been trying to push Tehran to lift its blockade of the Strait launched after the US and Israel began attacking Iran in late February.
The report of Chinese ships transiting the Strait came as US President Donald Trump was in Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping, which also focussed on reopening the narrow waterway that is key for global energy trade.
According to the White House, both sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must be kept open for energy deliveries.
Iran took control over the Strait shortly after the war began on February 28, effectively bringing commercial shipping to a standstill by threatening to attack ships that did not ask for permission to transit.
The US responded by mounting its own blockade of Iranian ports, intended to choke the country’s oil revenue.
Tehran consistently maintains that the Strait of Hormuz is not blocked. In reality, however, shipping companies must coordinate with Iranian authorities and are only permitted to pass through a corridor close to the Iranian coast in exchange for a high fee.
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The Most Revolutionary Act 