The Iranian army repeated its threats today to "destroy" energy infrastructure in the Middle East in the event of new attacks on Iranian energy facilities, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We warn the enemy that it is making a serious mistake by attacking the energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Command Center said, quoted by the Fars news agency.
"If this happens again, retaliatory strikes against your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will continue until they are destroyed," the Center added, warning of "a much more cruel response" than in the attacks on sites in the Persian Gulf tonight.
China has called for an end to the conflict in the Persian Gulf and said the security of waterways should not be jeopardized. Beijing added that it was ready to cooperate with Southeast Asia to overcome energy shortages as oil markets recover from supply disruptions, Reuters reported.
While the US-Israeli war on Iran has allowed China to present itself as the more reliable superpower, analysts say China is on alert due to uncertainty in the global energy market, not least to power its manufacturing sector, which is the backbone of its economy.
Aid for Southeast Asia's 700 million people would be a welcome relief for the region's oil importers after Beijing earlier this month issued an order banning Chinese exports of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. To protect its market, China is also restricting exports of fertilizers, the production of which depends on by-products from oil and gas refining.
"The situation in the Middle East threatens global energy security," Lin Jiang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press conference when asked whether Southeast Asian countries had turned to China for help.
"The parties to the conflict should immediately cease military operations to prevent regional instability from having a greater impact on global economic development," Lin said, adding that the security of waterways should not be "threatened," without specifically mentioning the Strait of Hormuz.
"China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to jointly address energy security issues. security," Lin added.
The crisis could create new opportunities in countries where China has struggled to establish a presence, said Wang Jing, a senior researcher at the Beijing "International Dialogue Club" - a think tank under the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz also highlights the relatively greater reliability of renewable energy compared to "the dependence on fossil fuels from the Persian Gulf, including nuclear power and other green energy sectors in which Beijing is a world leader," Wang said.
"China hopes to develop a very positive, healthy and very consistent relationship - especially in the energy sector - with everyone“, Wang added.
On Tuesday, Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin met with the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines to discuss energy cooperation, a sign of a setback, at least for now, in territorial disputes between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.