Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi amid heightened tensions with the United States in the Strait of Hormuz.

The one-day visit comes a week before US President Donald Trump's scheduled trip to Beijing for a summit with President Xi Jinping on May 14-15. China's official Xinhua news agency reported the meeting had begun but provided no further details.

This is Araghchi's first trip to China since the US-Israeli war on Iran began. Tehran and Beijing, close allies, have held at least three phone conversations since the start of the conflict.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Beijing would urge Tehran to lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint. Iran closed the strait after the war started, causing fuel and fertilizer prices to skyrocket.

Following an April ceasefire, the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports to compel Tehran to accept Washington's terms in Pakistan-mediated peace talks, including halting all nuclear enrichment.

Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said the agenda includes maintaining the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. China has criticized the US naval blockade but also Iran's decision to keep the strait closed.

Wang is expected to discuss what support China can offer if Iran continues the blockade. Araghchi reportedly seeks clarity on Beijing's stance ahead of the Xi-Trump meeting and whether China might make concessions that worry Tehran.

Meanwhile, Trump announced a pause on a US military operation to escort stranded ships out of the strait, citing requests from Pakistan and other countries. The UAE reported new missile and drone attacks from Iran, which Tehran denies.

Source: www.aljazeera.com