A US Special Forces team executed a secret raid last month on a ship traveling from China to Iran in the Indian Ocean, seizing parts linked to military uses.
According to the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal – citing informed sources – the operation involved both special and conventional forces.
This marks the first time in recent years that Washington has intercepted a Chinese-origin shipment heading for Iran.
Officials stated that Washington had been tracking the shipment for some time, explaining that the vessel was several hundred miles off the coast of Sri Lanka when the American team seized the cargo, before allowing the ship to continue its journey.
Officials explained that the seized cargo included dual-use components—items that can be utilized for both civilian or military purposes—including potential use in Iranian conventional weapons.
They indicated that the shipment was destroyed after its seizure. The newspaper also did not disclose the name or owner of the vessel.
The operation occurred weeks before the administration of US President Donald Trump seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was being used to transport oil to Iran.
This move also comes after the United Nations reimposed an international arms trade embargo on Iran in September, alongside increased US scrutiny of Chinese exports of components suspected of being bound for Iran’s missile program.
Chinese companies typically supply precise technologies to enhance the performance of Iranian missiles, which are considered more dangerous than the basic chemicals used in manufacturing rocket fuel.
Two members of the US Congress, including Marco Rubio, called on the US Secretary of State and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to investigate a large shipment of chemicals from China to Iran that could be used in rocket fuel.
In a letter dated November 13, they stated: “Recent shipments of these basic chemicals suggest that US measures thus far have failed to deter China from supporting Tehran in acquiring offensive military capabilities. Beijing appears to have become bolder in assisting Iran’s rearmament without punishment.”
According to American media reports, China views itself as a diplomatic and economic ally of Iran, importing its crude oil and considering US sanctions against it to be illegal.
