Beijing, China - Sept 7, 2026 (CCTV Video News Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Screenshot of U.S. Central Command's social media post

FILE: Strait of Hormuz - May 22, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
2. Various of cargo ships at sea

China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Zixin, Middle East expert, China Institute of International Studies (starting with shot 2):
"The intensity of the maritime confrontations has been escalating. But whether the shift of the main battlefield to the sea signals a full-scale conflict is not yet certain, and one should not underestimate both sides' willingness to limit the intensity of the confrontations. The White House is hoping to cool down the war before the midterm elections. Although the Pentagon has extended its military deployment in the Middle East into next year, the U.S. strategic approach is still to keep military pressure in the background and reassess after the elections, rather than launch an all-out war immediately. Iran, meanwhile, wants to maintain a visible level of confrontation to pressure the U.S., but is also calibrating the intensity of its actions. For Iran, stabilizing its domestic economy and improving people's livelihoods remain the most important practical goals at this stage. Therefore, the real risk of a major escalation does not lie in either side's current strategic intentions."

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of White House, U.S. national flag

FILE: Tehran, Iran - May-June 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
5. Iranian national flags

FILE: Tehran, Iran - June 6, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
6. Iranian national flags, traffic

China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Zixin, Middle East expert, China Institute of International Studies:
"Iran's restricted zone stretches from the U.S. naval blockade line into the Persian Gulf. At the same time, the Iranian parliament is advancing legislation to ban ships from sanctioned countries from transiting the strait. Together, these moves are expected to elevate the IRGC's previous military control into navigation rules backed by legal and institutional constraints. In the short term, shipping order is likely to become more chaotic. The combined pressure of rising insurance premiums, shipowners' risk-averse behavior, and Gulf oil producers' search for alternative export routes could further push up oil prices. In the medium term, with the U.S. blockade and Iran's restricted zone coexisting, the strait will become a waterway under dual control, intensifying the contest over navigation rules. In the long run, Iran's true objective is to transform control over the strait into a negotiable institutional asset. The extent of political resolve with which the relevant parties follow through on their policies will determine whether these threats remain at the level of deterrence or become the starting point for reshaping the order in the strait."

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Oct 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of Capitol building, U.S. national flag

FILE: Tehran, Iran - May 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
9. Various of traffic; Iranian national flags

The U.S. maritime blockade against Iran has redirected 94 commercial vessels as of Monday, and U.S. forces have disabled three vessels and boarded two others to ensure full compliance with the blockade, a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) statement said.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated in recent days. On Saturday, the U.S. said its forces have struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, while Iran said it targeted three U.S. vessels and three tankers on unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the escalated situation, Li Zixin, a Middle East expert at the China Institute of International Studies, believes a full-scale conflict is not imminent and would not serve the current strategic interests of either countries.

"The intensity of the maritime confrontations has been escalating. But whether the shift of the main battlefield to the sea signals a full-scale conflict is not yet certain, and one should not underestimate both sides' willingness to limit the intensity of the confrontations," said Li.

Li further explained that the White House is hoping to cool down the war before the midterm elections. Although the Pentagon has extended its military deployment in the Middle East into next year, the U.S. strategic approach is still to keep military pressure in the background and reassess after the elections, rather than launch an all-out war immediately.

Iran, meanwhile, wants to maintain a visible level of confrontation to pressure the U.S., but is also calibrating the intensity of its actions. For Iran, stabilizing its domestic economy and improving people's livelihoods remain the most important practical goals at this stage, said Li.

"Therefore, the real risk of a major escalation does not lie in either side's current strategic intentions," Li said.

To counter the U.S. maritime blockade, Iran has announced a plan to establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz.

The zone would extend from "the line where the U.S. naval blockade begins to regions in the Persian Gulf," and any ship attempting to cross the strait from within that zone would be put on Tehran's sanctions list.

Li said Iran's move aims to turn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' military control of the waterway into a legally backed navigation regime.

"Iran's restricted zone stretches from the U.S. naval blockade line into the Persian Gulf. At the same time, the Iranian parliament is advancing legislation to ban ships from sanctioned countries from transiting the strait. Together, these moves are expected to elevate the IRGC's previous military control into navigation rules backed by legal and institutional constraints," said Li.

"In the short term, shipping order is likely to become more chaotic. The combined pressure of rising insurance premiums, shipowners' risk-averse behavior, and Gulf oil producers' search for alternative export routes could further push up oil prices. In the medium term, with the U.S. blockade and Iran's restricted zone coexisting, the strait will become a waterway under dual control, intensifying the contest over navigation rules. In the long run, Iran's true objective is to transform control over the strait into a negotiable institutional asset. The extent of political resolve with which the relevant parties follow through on their policies will determine whether these threats remain at the level of deterrence or become the starting point for reshaping the order in the strait," Li added.