Recently, the US special forces intercepted a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean and discovered prohibited goods being transported from China to Iran. This marks the first known interception of goods originating from China and bound for Iran by the US military in recent years. Experts point out that this operation demonstrates the precise intelligence capabilities of the US military, highlighting that despite international sanctions, China continues to send sensitive supplies to Iran, a behavior that is undermining regional security and may trigger further strategic repercussions.
The US special operations forces boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-related items being shipped from China to Iran. According to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal on December 12th, this is the first known interception of goods from China destined for Iran by the US military.
US officials revealed that when the operatives boarded and confiscated the goods, the ship was located several hundred miles off the coast of Sri Lanka, and the ship was later allowed to continue its journey. Officials stated that the US had been tracking these goods.
An official stated that the seized goods included components that could be used for conventional weapons in Iran, and these dual-use components have been destroyed. A second official and sources familiar with the matter revealed that US intelligence indicated that these goods were destined for an Iranian company specializing in purchasing components for Iran’s missile program.
This operation took place weeks before the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 11th. The US Indo-Pacific Command, which carried out the mission, declined to comment on this matter, while spokespersons for Iran and China’s foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
This previously undisclosed raid is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to disrupt Iran’s secret military procurement activities following significant damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear facilities and missile sites during a 12-day conflict in June by Israel and the US. According to a US official, this operation involved both special operations forces and conventional forces.
Researcher Shen Mingshi of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Studies told Epoch Times on December 14th that this interception operation showcased the US military’s advantages in intelligence gathering, target tracking, and enforcement capabilities across multiple dimensions.
Shen analyzed that the US military’s precision in interception relies on accurate intelligence collection. Additionally, by monitoring the movements of cargo ships through countries like India and Sri Lanka, the US strategically chose to intercept in the Indian Ocean instead of the potentially disrupted South China Sea, demonstrating meticulous calculations in selecting the operation location.
Regarding the strategic significance of the operation, Shen noted that this interception shows that the US has extended its enforcement model used in intercepting drug ships in the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, showcasing its capability to intercept any threats to regional security and contraband items violating export controls. Compared to past practices of interception at the destination, directly intercepting during transportation is more efficient.
Shen believes that this action will have a deterrent effect on both China and Iran. He predicted that China might protest the US enforcement action, claiming that these were civilian goods rather than controlled items, but “this argument is not very convincing because there must be clear evidence and understanding of the flow.”
Regarding future trends, Shen pointed out that Iran may adopt different transportation methods to evade scrutiny in cases of actual need, such as switching to air transport or using ships from other countries. “The Chinese Communist Party is willing to use all means to achieve its goals,” he said, highlighting the potential for this issue to escalate US-China relations.
This interception occurred in the context of the UN reinstating arms embargoes on Iran. After the UK, France, and Germany initiated the process to restore UN sanctions against Iran in September, the UN reinstated arms embargoes and other sanctions on Iran on September 27th.
The reimposed sanctions include a weapons embargo on Iran, prohibiting all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, actions related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and the supply of goods that could be used for Iran’s nuclear program. It also authorizes all countries to seize and dispose of any prohibited items under UN sanctions.
However, Western intelligence agencies revealed that following the UN’s announcement of reinstating sanctions on Iran, Iran rapidly expanded its import of key missile materials from China. According to CNN citing European intelligence sources, several shipments of sodium chlorate have arrived in Iran’s port of Abbas since late September, totaling around 2000 tons. Analysts pointed out that these chemical precursors are sufficient to produce approximately 500 ballistic missiles.
In November, US lawmakers wrote to government officials expressing concerns about Beijing’s continued provision of critical materials for Iran’s missile program. The lawmakers stated that China had violated the UN’s reinstated sanctions in September.
Subsequently, the US Treasury announced a new round of sanctions on November 12th, targeting 32 individuals and entities from eight countries, including several Chinese and Hong Kong businesses accused of facilitating the procurement of sensitive materials.
Su Ziyun, director of the Institute of Strategic and Resource Studies at the Institute for National Defense and Security Studies in Taiwan, analyzed that this interception operation had dual significance. Firstly, it enforced sanctions and weapons embargoes against Iran; secondly, it “highlighted that China still wants to interfere in the Middle East, which is in the geopolitical competition in the Middle East region.”
Su pointed out that following the US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and missile attacks between Iran and Israel, Iran’s missile capabilities were severely depleted and needed to replenish equipment and materials, with China becoming a primary supplier. “This highlights that China is a troublemaker.”
From a strategic perspective, Su believes that the interception operation first prevents Iran from rearming, limiting its ability to launch attacks against Israel or other terrorist organizations; secondly, cutting off the supply of Iranian weapons at the source contributes to the security and stability of the northeastern and southern Middle East.
Regarding international impact, Su stated that China has long been a disruptor of regional peace. He mentioned that earlier this year, the US intercepted two Iranian cargo ships carrying Chinese chemical materials. Additionally, during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, it was discovered that Hamas’s rocket materials and even steel pipes were supplied by China. “Israel’s relationship with China has cooled significantly because of these factors.”
Su warned that this incident “once again proves to Europe and even Arab countries that China is a disruptor of regional security, indirectly pushing more moderate Arab countries towards the US. Therefore, China’s actions are very unwise and will face more strategic backlash.”
The US’s crackdown on Iran’s military procurement network is showing a trend of normalization.
In recent years, the US has intercepted several batches of weapons and oil shipments belonging to Iran. In January 2024, US Central Command seized Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components headed for Yemen’s Houthi militants near the coast of Somalia. The US also intercepted Iranian oil shipments in 2020 and 2023.
In April this year, the US Treasury sanctioned several Iranian and Chinese entities for providing chemical precursors conducive to producing ballistic missiles to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
For a long time, China has been a diplomatic and economic ally of Iran. According to US intelligence, China has been clandestinely shipping weapon systems to Iran and importing oil from Iran.
Shen Mingshi pointed out that this operation has made countries around the world realize that “China says one thing and does another.” This is similar to China’s assistance in transporting goods to Russia and helping sanctioned countries obtain strategic materials. He believes that in cases of actual need in Iran, China may resort to other methods to circumvent sanctions because “the Chinese Communist Party is willing to use any means to achieve its goals.”