“China sends a battle fleet escorting a tanker fleet to challenge the US blockade of Iran”
Dear Xi:
Israel might take out the Iranian oil industry.
Make sure we get a fair share of your business now in case you’d like to be able to buy oil in the future.
Arab Gulf State Oil Minister
Or it could be the reverse. As the largest customer, China has the clout to tell Arab gulf states that they need to play nice or they could be shut out of the world’s largest oil market (and perhaps other markets in which China can exert pressure). And keep in mind that while Arab Gulf states are enemies of Iran, they are also unhappy with the missile attacks they have been absorbing courtesy of US strikes, and economically severe losses in oil revenue. They can understand Israeli strikes to curb Iranian nuclear ambitions; it is the fecklessness of Washington that is frustrating them.