US forces raided Chinese cargo ship travelling to Iran

U.S. forces intercepted and boarded a cargo vessel traveling from China to Iran last month, the Wall Street Journal reported, marking a rare escalation in maritime enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to unnamed U.S. officials cited by the newspaper, American military personnel boarded the ship several hundred miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. The incident reportedly marked the first U.S. interception in several years of cargo en route from China to Iran.

The operation took place in November, weeks before U.S. authorities seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela earlier this week for alleged sanctions violations—another enforcement action Washington had not undertaken in years.
Iran remains subject to extensive U.S. sanctions. Neither Tehran nor Beijing immediately responded to the report, though China, one of Iran’s primary trading partners, has consistently denounced U.S. sanctions as unlawful.

Earlier Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned the seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker, which was brought to a Texas port. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not immediately confirm the reported boarding. However, an official told the Wall Street Journal that the seized cargo included materials “potentially useful for Iran’s conventional weapons,” noting that the items were dual-use and could serve both civilian and military purposes.

Officials said the vessel was permitted to continue its journey after the interdiction, which involved U.S. special operations forces.

The incident occurred amid broader U.S. pressure on Venezuela, a campaign Caracas has accused Washington of using to undermine President Nicolás Maduro’s government. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the Trump administration has not ruled out additional vessel seizures near Venezuela.

China reiterated its opposition to such actions. “China opposes unilateral illegal sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that lack a basis in international law or authorization from the UN Security Council, as well as the abuse of sanctions,” Guo said.
Analysis By The Societal News Team updated 18DEC2025