The White House said Trump and Xi agreed during meetings in Beijing that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open and that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, as maritime incidents near the strategic waterway intensified pressure on global oil markets.

Trump, speaking in an interview aired Thursday on Fox News, urged Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington after diplomatic efforts to end the conflict stalled.

“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump said. “They should make a deal.”

The comments came as Iran continued restricting access through the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks that began on Feb. 28 and triggered one of the most severe disruptions to global energy flows in decades.

China, Iran’s largest oil customer and a close strategic partner, has emerged as a key diplomatic player in efforts to stabilize the region and restore shipping traffic through the narrow maritime chokepoint, which previously handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

The White House said Xi opposed further militarization of the strait and rejected any attempt to impose transit tolls on vessels using the route.

Trump also said Xi assured him China would not provide military equipment to Iran and expressed interest in increasing Chinese purchases of American oil to reduce dependence on Gulf shipping lanes.
On the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Trump suggested securing the material was more politically symbolic than strategically essential.

“I don’t think it’s necessary except from a public relations standpoint,” Trump said during the interview.
Meanwhile, maritime security concerns escalated further after an Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank off Oman on Wednesday following what security analysts said was likely a missile or drone strike.

India said all 14 crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and condemned the attack.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a vessel anchored off the UAE port of Fujairah and steered it toward Iranian waters.

Security consultancy Vanguard said the ship was believed to have been seized by Iranian personnel while at anchor.

Despite the disruptions, Iranian authorities indicated they were permitting limited shipping traffic through the strait under negotiated arrangements with selected countries.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said 30 vessels had passed through Hormuz since Wednesday evening, although shipping levels remained far below pre-war averages.
Shipping analytics firm Kpler estimated that roughly 10 vessels crossed the strait during the past 24 hours, compared with about 140 vessels on a typical day before the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled after Tehran and Washington rejected each other’s latest proposals last week.

Washington is demanding Iran surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium and halt further enrichment activities, while Tehran is seeking sanctions relief, compensation for war-related damage and recognition of its control over the strait.

A senior U.S. admiral told a Senate committee on Thursday that Iran’s ability to threaten neighboring countries and American interests had been “significantly degraded” by the conflict, though reports indicate Tehran retains substantial missile and drone capabilities.

The conflict has also reverberated across the wider region, including renewed instability involving the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.