US politician Nikki Haley claimed on Tuesday that the Chinese ship seized by the United States in the Strait of Hormuz was heading to Iran to help “support” the regime. But China denied the allegation and said the seized ship was a “foreign container” ship.“The ship the US seized in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend was headed from China to Iran and is linked to missile chemical shipments,” Haley said in a post on X. “It refused repeated orders to stop.”She added: “Another reminder that China is helping support the Iranian regime, a fact that cannot be ignored.”
China denied this and said, “The ship seized by the United States is a foreign container ship. China rejects any connection or false speculation.”
This comes at a time when the United States has closed the strait while talks between the United States and Iran remain in limbo. A US naval operation in the Gulf of Oman intercepted the Iranian-flagged cargo ship. Maritime security sources cited by Reuters said that initial assessments indicate that the ship may be carrying “dual-use” materials, such as metals, pipes and electronic components that can serve both civilian and military purposes.The vessel has been identified as Tosca Linked to shipping lines belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is subject to sanctions, US forces boarded it on Sunday near the Iranian port of Chabahar.
According to Marine Traffic data, it last reported its location at 1308 GMT. US Central Command said the ship was grounded after failing to respond to repeated warnings over a six-hour period and was operating in violation of the US blockade.Iran strongly condemned this act, describing it as “armed piracy,” and stated that the ship was on its way from China, while warning of the possibility of retaliation despite concerns about the civilians on board. China also responded, urging restraint and calling on all parties to avoid escalation and respect the ceasefire.
