Nikki Haley, the Indian-origin member of the US Republican Party, claimed that Touska, the Iranian container ship seized by the US Navy, was traveling from China while carrying chemicals for missiles.
Haley posted on X, “The ship the US seized in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend was headed from China to Iran and is linked to chemical shipments for missiles. It refused repeated orders to stop.”
She further claimed that the possibility of China helping Iranians in the war is a ‘reality that can no longer be ignored’.
US forces captured the Iranian vessel Touska during the weekend which escalated the existing tension between the two countries. The small container ship is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that was hit with US sanctions. According to the ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform, the vessel was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman.
The Iranian military said the ship was traveling from China and accused the US of ‘armed piracy’. Tehran stated it would not join the US for the second round of peace negotiations in Islamabad unless the blockade was lifted.
Iran claimed they were ready to confront the US Naval forces over the ‘blatant aggression’ but were restricted by the presence of the families of crew members on board.
US security sources told Reuters that the initial assessments were that the ship was likely carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia.
“The vessel had previously transported items deemed as dual-use,” said one of the sources.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) listed metals, pipes, and electronic components along with other goods that had potential for both military and industrial use, justifying the seizure.
Washington has imposed sanction on IRISL in late 2019, labeling it as ‘the preferred shipping line for Iranian proliferators and procurement agents’.
