US politician Nikki Haley claimed on Tuesday that a Chinese ship seized by the United States in the Strait of Hormuz was heading to Iran to help “support” the regime.“The ship the US seized in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend was headed from China to Iran and is linked to a chemical shipment for missiles. “It refused repeated orders to stop,” Haley said in a post on X.He added, “Another reminder that China is helping prop up Iran’s regime – a reality that cannot be ignored.”This comes as the US has blocked the strait as US-Iran talks remain in limbo. US naval operation intercepts Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. Maritime security sources cited by Reuters said early assessments showed the ship could be carrying “dual-use” material – items such as metals, pipes and electronic components that can serve both civilian and military purposes.The ship has been identified as tauska And belonging to sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, the ship was boarded by US forces near Iran’s Chabahar port on Sunday. According to MarineTraffic data, it last reported its position at 1308 GMT. US Central Command said the ship was stopped after failing to respond to repeated warnings for more than six hours and that it was acting in violation of the US-enforced blockade.Iran strongly condemned the action, calling it “armed piracy” and saying the ship was coming from China, while warning of possible retaliation despite concerns over civilians on board. China also reacted, urging restraint and calling on all parties to avoid escalation and respect the ceasefire.
