Washington DC - Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday urged China to halt Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation to the US' attacks on its nuclear sites.

"I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil," Rubio said during an interview on Fox News.

Rubio's comments came after he was asked whether the US expects a harsh response to the unprecedented bombing of nuclear sites carried out by President Donald Trump's administration.

The Strait of Hormuz accounts for about one fifth of global oil output and is considered vital for the world's economy.

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"If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake," Rubio said on Fox News. "It's economic suicide for them if they do it, and we retain options to deal with that."

"But other countries should be looking at that as well, it would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours. It would be, I think, a massive escalation that would merit a response."

In response to US attacks on Iranian soil, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that US military bases in the region will be considered a "legitimate target for our armed forces."

In a statement from Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China joined other nations in condemning the US strikes on Iran and warned of escalating tensions in the region.

"China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible," a spokesperson said.