Trump: We intercepted a ship carrying some not-so-good things...

Speaking on CNBC that day, Trump boasted: "We have ample ammunition and sufficient supplies of all kinds—much stronger than we were four or five weeks ago. So we've replenished our military stockpiles with these resources; they [Iran] may have replenished theirs as well."

Trump added, "Yesterday we intercepted a ship carrying some things—things that weren’t good. Maybe a gift from China—I don’t know—but I was a bit surprised… Well, it’s war, right? Doesn’t matter."

Although Trump did not explicitly state it, his remarks implied that this "gift" could be some form of assistance to Tehran's authorities. The White House did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.

On Tuesday during a regular press briefing, reporters asked, "U.S. former UN ambassador Nikki Haley posted that the vessel seized by the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz was en route from China to Iran and involved chemicals used in missile production. What is China’s response?" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun replied, "As far as I know, this is an overseas container ship. China opposes any malicious linking or sensationalizing."

The Chinese Embassy in the United States also emphasized that China "handles exports of military products prudently and responsibly, and strictly controls the export of dual-use items."

The U.S. interception of vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz is part of its ongoing confrontation with Iran over this vital waterway, aimed at pressuring Tehran ahead of upcoming negotiations this week.

Since the war initiated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, Tehran has repeatedly threatened attacks, vowing to block oil tankers, natural gas carriers, and other vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Recently, Trump announced that the U.S. would begin blocking ships entering and leaving Iranian ports starting at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on April 13.

To date, the U.S. has intercepted one sanctioned oil tanker and one Iranian cargo vessel. According to U.S. Central Command, American forces have forced a total of 28 ships to turn back.

In recent years, Moscow and Tehran have deepened their military cooperation. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to global isolation, it turned toward support from several U.S. geopolitical rivals, including Iran and North Korea.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1863204075795467/

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