Pakistan, May 14 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington wants China to pressure Iran to change its stance on the Gulf situation, amid ongoing regional tensions affecting global shipping routes.

Speaking in an interview, Rubio stated that China should encourage Iran to step back from its current actions in the Gulf, arguing that it is also in Beijing's interest to help resolve the crisis due to its reliance on maritime trade routes.

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He said China itself is being affected by the situation, claiming that Chinese vessels have also been impacted in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global chokepoint for energy and commercial shipping.

Rubio emphasised that stabilis...