US forces seized Chinese cargo bound for Iran: Report

A US special operations team boarded a Chinese vessel bound for Iran in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka last month, seizing suspicious cargo, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

Operatives from the US Indo-Pacific Command — both special and conventional forces — intercepted the ship, confiscated the items, and allowed it to continue, SCMP stated citing "sources" and an earlier Wall Street Journal report.

The vessel was not named.

The US accuses China of supplying Iran with so-called "dual-use components" that could fuel Tehran's ballistic missile programme.

Posts about the operation, including one made by Gordon Chang, an American author and conservative commentator, have emerged on social media.

Strategic context

The move aligns with Pentagon push to throttle Iran's military buildup, including nuclear and missile advances, after US and Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian facilities in June.

Washington tracked the shipment, which held components usable for civilian tech or Tehran's weapons and missile development.​

Experts see this as Washington "testing the waters" to revive pressure tactics on Beijing's alliances with rivals like Iran.

However, such interdictions risk violating international maritime law, potentially sparking diplomatic backlash amid tense US-China ties.