China's top diplomat Wang Yi stressed the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart. The strait is a conduit for about one-quarter of the world's crude oil and 20 percent of its liquefied natural gas. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, and the Islamic Republic's retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf region, have left hundreds of vessels stranded in nearby waters and driven up oil prices.

Tag-uri: Islam