LIVE | Trump and Xi agree that 'the Strait of Hormuz must remain open'

The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open during their meeting Thursday in Beijing.

"The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open to favor the free flow of energy," the White House said.

China is directly affected because, according to maritime traffic analysis firm Kpler, more than half of the crude oil it imports by sea comes from the Middle East and transits through that strait.

According to the White House, Xi expressed in his meeting with Trump his opposition to a "militarization" of the passage and to the institution of a toll, as Iran intends.

Oil remains above $100 per barrel, although after Trump's meeting with XI it showed slight declines.

West Texas Intermediate gave up 0.4% to $100.60, while Brent was down 0.2% to $105.50.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of playing an active role in the U.S.-Israeli war against his country.

"EAU is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it," Araghchi said in a Telegram post while attending a BRICS summit in India.

Araghchi also referred to what Israel has described as a "secret" meeting in the UAE during the war between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a visit that Abu Dhabi has denied took place.

"I must say that the UAE was directly involved in the act of aggression against my country. When this aggression began, they even refused to condemn it. It was also clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us," Araghchi said.

A Hezbollah drone strike wounded several Israeli civilians Thursday, the Israeli military said, hours before U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks were to begin in Washington.

"Moments ago, an explosive drone that was launched by the Hezbollah terrorist organization fell inside Israeli territory near the Israel-Lebanon border," the army said.

"As a result, several Israeli civilians were injured and were evacuated for medical treatment to a hospital."

BRICS countries, including Iran and Russia, met Thursday in New Delhi, where India warned of "considerable change" in a world buffeted by conflict, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity.

The war in Iran and the fuel crisis are dominating discussions at the two-day meeting.

India was hosting the foreign ministers of the enlarged bloc that now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, countries at loggerheads over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.

A vessel departing from the United Arab Emirates has been hijacked by unidentified persons and is now heading for Iranian waters, a British shipping agency reported Thursday.

The vessel was taken "by unauthorized personnel while at anchor" 70 kilometers northeast of Fujairah and "is now bound for Iranian waters," according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

An Iranian Army spokesman estimated Wednesday that Tehran's control of the Strait of Hormuz could generate "significant" economic benefits and bolster the country's international status.

The blockade of this strategic sea lane, through which about 20% of the world's oil supply routinely transits, has shaken international markets since the start of the Middle East war.

Two men were hanged Wednesday in Iran, one convicted of having links to the Mossad and another for killing a policeman during protests, according to authorities and human rights groups.