The United States of America forces have seized a vessel carrying supplies from China destined for Iran, according to President Donald Trump, as Tehran seeks to replenish its military stockpiles while a fragile ceasefire remains in effect.
“The ship had a gift from China which wasn’t very nice,” Trump told CNBC on Tuesday.
“I was a little surprised,” he added, noting that he believed he had reached an “understanding” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump revealed the interception occurred the previous day and described the cargo as unwelcome items that Iran was likely using to restock during the current two-week pause in hostilities, which is set to expire on Wednesday.
“We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China,” the president stated, expressing disappointment over the apparent breach of trust with Beijing.
The development comes just a week after Trump publicly announced that Xi had assured him China would refrain from delivering weapons to Iran, a longtime partner of Beijing.
Despite the prior commitment, Trump suggested the incident highlighted ongoing challenges in the region, even as he maintained his generally positive rapport with the Chinese leader.
Iran has not commented directly on the seizure, while Chinese officials have pushed back against linking the vessel to any arms support for Tehran.
The episode adds fresh strain to US-China relations at a sensitive moment in Middle East diplomacy.
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