403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
Israel Envoy Accuses France, China, Pakistan of Bankrolling Iran
(MENAFN) Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, launched a pointed public offensive against the French, Chinese, and Pakistani envoys on Monday, accusing their governments of effectively bankrolling Tehran's influence by allegedly negotiating preferential passage through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
The broadside followed media reports indicating that commercial vessels flying the flags of all three nations had successfully transited the strategically vital waterway during Iran's ongoing blockade — in some instances with direct Iranian authorization — despite sweeping restrictions Tehran has imposed on broader international shipping.
Danon wasted no time taking his accusations public, firing off a post on X immediately following his address to a UN General Assembly session convened to address the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
"I asked the French ambassador: How much money did you pay Iran to move ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz?" Danon said in a post on X shortly after speaking at the UN General Assembly session on the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
"Surprisingly, he had no answer," he wrote, adding: "The ambassadors of China and Pakistan also had no answer."
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most consequential maritime chokepoints, channeling roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Tehran effectively shut the waterway down in retaliation for the US-Israeli bombing campaign that commenced on February 28, triggering a cascade of global energy market disruptions.
In a brief and confusing turn last Friday, Iran reopened the strait to all commercial traffic, framing the decision as part of ceasefire arrangements tied to the Israel–Lebanon truce — only to reverse course and reimpose the closure the very next day. The reversal coincided with US President Donald Trump confirming that Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports and shipping lanes would remain firmly in place until a formal peace agreement was secured. Washington had tightened those restrictions after bilateral negotiations in Pakistan broke down the previous weekend.
As far back as March, Iran had already signaled a selective approach to the blockade, announcing that vessels belonging to India, China, Russia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka would be granted transit rights. Beijing — ranked as Tehran's largest oil customer, with the bulk of its supplies routed through the strait — stood to benefit most directly from that carve-out. Malaysian authorities similarly expressed gratitude to Tehran for extending passage rights to their vessels.
By April, media, citing vessel tracking data, reported that a container ship operated by a French shipping company had navigated the strait alongside several other commercial vessels — the report that appears to have ignited Danon's accusations.
The diplomatic records of the three targeted nations at the UN tell a fractured story: France has voted in favor of resolutions condemning Iran's blockade; China has either vetoed such measures outright or opposed critical provisions within them; and Pakistan has opted to abstain.
The broadside followed media reports indicating that commercial vessels flying the flags of all three nations had successfully transited the strategically vital waterway during Iran's ongoing blockade — in some instances with direct Iranian authorization — despite sweeping restrictions Tehran has imposed on broader international shipping.
Danon wasted no time taking his accusations public, firing off a post on X immediately following his address to a UN General Assembly session convened to address the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
"I asked the French ambassador: How much money did you pay Iran to move ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz?" Danon said in a post on X shortly after speaking at the UN General Assembly session on the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
"Surprisingly, he had no answer," he wrote, adding: "The ambassadors of China and Pakistan also had no answer."
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most consequential maritime chokepoints, channeling roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Tehran effectively shut the waterway down in retaliation for the US-Israeli bombing campaign that commenced on February 28, triggering a cascade of global energy market disruptions.
In a brief and confusing turn last Friday, Iran reopened the strait to all commercial traffic, framing the decision as part of ceasefire arrangements tied to the Israel–Lebanon truce — only to reverse course and reimpose the closure the very next day. The reversal coincided with US President Donald Trump confirming that Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports and shipping lanes would remain firmly in place until a formal peace agreement was secured. Washington had tightened those restrictions after bilateral negotiations in Pakistan broke down the previous weekend.
As far back as March, Iran had already signaled a selective approach to the blockade, announcing that vessels belonging to India, China, Russia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka would be granted transit rights. Beijing — ranked as Tehran's largest oil customer, with the bulk of its supplies routed through the strait — stood to benefit most directly from that carve-out. Malaysian authorities similarly expressed gratitude to Tehran for extending passage rights to their vessels.
By April, media, citing vessel tracking data, reported that a container ship operated by a French shipping company had navigated the strait alongside several other commercial vessels — the report that appears to have ignited Danon's accusations.
The diplomatic records of the three targeted nations at the UN tell a fractured story: France has voted in favor of resolutions condemning Iran's blockade; China has either vetoed such measures outright or opposed critical provisions within them; and Pakistan has opted to abstain.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
Market Research
More Story
Comments
No comment