Beijing rejects Trump claims that seized Iran ship was ‘gift from China’
Beijing rejects Trump claims that seized Iran ship was ‘gift from China’
M.U.H
24/04/202615
China has dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump that an Iranian-flagged cargo ship confiscated by terrorist American forces was a “gift from China.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Friday, three days after Trump claimed the vessel “had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice. A gift from China perhaps, I don’t know.”
“China opposes any accusations and associations that lack a factual basis,” the spokesman said, adding, “Normal international trade relations between countries should not be subject to interference and disruption.”
On Sunday, the United States attacked Iranian commercial vessel Touska in the waters of the Sea of Oman, deploying its forces onto the ship’s deck and disabling its navigation systems.
Iran denounced the illegal attack, which involved coercion, intimidation, and reckless endangerment of the lives of the ship’s crew and their families.
The seizure of the civilian Iranian ship constituted a blatant violation of fundamental principles of international law, amounting to maritime piracy and representing a dangerous escalation that threatens the safety and security of vital shipping routes, highlighted Iranian officials.
The attack took place amid the United States’ illegal “naval blockade” of Iran.
On Friday, Tasnim news agency reported that Iran has managed to circumvent the US’s “naval blockade” through the port of Jask.
Situated in the Sea of Oman, the Iranian port allows tankers to be loaded and directly enter the high seas without crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump announced the “naval blockade” of Iran after the failure of Pakistan-mediated Tehran-Washington talks during a ceasefire between the two sides.
The temporary truce took effect on April 8, forty days into the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression that triggered 100 waves of Iran’s successful retaliatory strikes and led the country to maintain tight control over transit via the Strait of Hormuz.
