US Forces Storm Cargo Ship Travelling From China to Iran: Report
United States forces reportedly raided a cargo ship travelling from China to Iran in November, marking the latest example of increasingly aggressive maritime tactics by the administration of President Donald Trump. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal published on Friday, US military personnel boarded the vessel several hundred miles from Sri Lanka. Unnamed officials said the incident marked the first time in several years that US forces had intercepted cargo travelling from China to Iran. The operation took place weeks before US authorities seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela earlier this week, citing alleged sanctions violations. Officials described the November raid as another step in a pattern of actions Washington has not taken in years. US Indo-Pacific Command did not immediately confirm the report. However, an official told the newspaper that materials seized during the operation were “potentially useful for Iran’s conventional weapons.” The official added that the items were considered dual-use, meaning they could have both civilian and military applications. Sources said the ship was allowed to continue its journey after the interdiction, which reportedly involved US special operations forces. Iran remains under extensive US sanctions. Neither Tehran nor Beijing immediately responded to the report, though China, a key trading partner of Iran, has consistently criticised US sanctions as illegal. Earlier on Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker by US forces, which was taken to a port in Texas. Guo said Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions and what it described as “long-arm jurisdiction” without authorisation from the United Nations Security Council. The latest maritime action comes amid heightened US pressure on Venezuela, a move Caracas has accused Washington of pursuing in an effort to undermine President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that the Trump administration would not rule out additional vessel seizures near Venezuela in the future.