US President Donald Trump now plans to postpone a scheduled visit to China later this month, by at least a month owing to the ongoing war in Iran, BBC reports. The White House confirmed that the original dates for the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, set between March 31 and April 2, will now be pushed back to allow Trump to remain in Washington to oversee developments in the Middle East.

In response, the Chinese embassy in the US capital acknowledged local media reports regarding the potential delay but declined to provide further details. The conflict in Iran has taken precedence over other all other US foreign policy priorities, as escalating hostilities and disruptions to global oil supplies threaten to increase prices in the US. There is also increasing evidence that the US military is struggling to contain its Iranian foes.

Trump has stressed that the postponement is intended solely to ensure his presence in the capital during the crisis although it has been suggested that the delay could be in part a result of China’s reluctance to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz to aid in the passages of tankers through the narrow waterway. This was, however, an angle US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied when saying that the delay is unrelated to any requests for Chinese assistance in the Gulf or ongoing trade disputes.

Contradicting Besant, the announcement followed comments by Trump suggesting that the meeting could be deferred if China did not assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The US president has also called on other nations to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels through the waterway.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have grown amid the Iran war with China a major buyer of Iranian energy exports that has criticised US and Israeli strikes against the country. Meanwhile, the US has announced an investigation into trade practices in several nations, including China, after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s signature tariff policy in February.