BEIJING, April 2. /TASS/. The United States and Israel are responsible for the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, said official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Mao Ning.

"The root cause of the obstacles to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is the illegal military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran. Only the cessation of fire and hostilities along with peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region can guarantee unhindered and safe movement of ships along the international sea route," she said at a news conference.

The diplomat also called on the parties concerned to "work together to de-escalate the situation and prevent further negative effects of regional instability on global economic and energy security."

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with sweeping attacks on Israel. US military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were also attacked.