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China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, would be vulnerable to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

As calls grow within Iran for closing the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US attacks on its nuclear sites, a key diplomatic and economic backer of Tehran would stand to lose from that decision: China.

Connecting the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the open ocean, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most critical oil checkpoints in the world. Some 20 million barrels per day of crude oil, or 20% of the global consumption, flowed through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

For China, the world’s largest importer of oil and the biggest buyer of crude from Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is even more important.

China imported 5.4 million barrels of crude every day through the strait in the first three months of 2025, according to the EIA’s estimates. That’s equivalent to about half of China’s daily average crude imports in the first quarter of the year, according to CNN’s calculation based on Chinese customs data.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that vulnerability when he called on China to dissuade Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz.

“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, adding that closing the strait would hurt other countries’ economies more than the US economy.

China remains by far Iran’s largest energy buyer, though it has not reported purchases of Iranian oil in its official customs data since 2022, according to analysts. Some 90% of Iran’s oil exports now go to China, according to commodities data company Kpler, providing a key lifeline to Tehran’s heavily sanctioned economy.

China has condemned US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying the move “exacerbates tensions in the Middle East.” It has not commented on the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz.