UK maritime trade agency report comes as US is keen to portray ‘Project Freedom’ as defensive rescue effort for mariners stuck in Gulf

• US-Iran truce teeters on meltdown as stalemate takes toll on each side

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is travelling to Beijing later today for talks with his Chinese counterpart “on bilateral relations and regional and international developments”, his ministry said on its Telegram account.

While Beijing condemned the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran which started the war in late February, China has largely adopted a posture of neutrality ever since and has urged for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.