Iran war: Why Gulf nations are turning to China, not US, to reopen Strait of Hormuz

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 31, 2026 12:38 AM IST Iran has reiterated that it will maintain its control over the Strait of Hormuz. (AI Generated Image)The war in West Asia between the United States and Iran continues to escalate after five months of hostilities, and the Gulf Arab states are now looking to China and not Washington to utilise its economic leverage over Tehran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, a report stated. It is also being viewed as a way for the Gulf countries to test the waters as to how far Beijing is ready and able to pressure Iran. The push for a bigger Chinese role by the Gulf states is triggered by “frustration,” Gulf sources told Reuters.Though the US-Israel joint war against Iran has hurt the Gulf’s regional foe but has also restricted the