Beijing, China - China on Monday warned that if President Donald Trump follows through on his vow to "obliterate" Iran's power plants it could create an "uncontrollable situation" in the Middle East.

Trump on Saturday gave Tehran a 48-hour deadline to end its partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil flows.

If Tehran fails to end the blockade by the deadline, which will come on Monday night, Trump threatened to "hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST."

In response to Trump's escalatory threats, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that the conflict and its impact on Hormuz has threatened global energy security as well as China's oil supplies.

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Lin warned that Trump's "use of force will only lead to a vicious cycle" when asked by reporters about the threats during his daily press conference on Monday.

"If the war expands further and the situation deteriorates again, the entire region could be plunged into an uncontrollable situation," he warned.

Beijing is a partner of Iran, which has been the victim of relentless US and Israeli bombardments since Trump launched his war of aggression at the end of February.

It has, however, objected to Tehran's retaliatory strikes against Gulf States housing US military bases, which has triggered a widening regional war.

Trump, who was due to visit Beijing this month but delayed his trip to deal with the fallout from the war, has called on China and other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi slammed Trump earlier in March, declaring that the war "should never have happened" and warning that the US' actions will "backfire."