The United States Navy tracked, boarded and seized an Iranian cargo vessel'Touska'near the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week. Now, a report has emerged claiming that the ship was carrying equipment deemed dual-use by the US. Also, US Republican Party member Nikki Haley claimed that the seized ship was travelling from China and was carrying chemical shipments for missiles to Iran.
The United States said it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings. The US Central Command had also released a footage showing a guided-missile destroyer firing on the vessel and Marines rappelling from helicopters onto its deck.
Touska was likely carrying what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, reported Reuters, citing, maritime security sources. The internal assessments suggested that the the vessel was likely to be carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia, it said. The vessel had previously transported items deemed as dual-use, it added.
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Earlier, the US Central Command had listed metals, pipes and electronic components among other goods that could have a military as well as an industrial use and could be captured.
US Republican leader Nikki Haley on Tuesday said that the first ship seized by the US after it imposed a naval blockade was travelling from China and was carrying chemical shipments for missiles to Iran. "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," Haley posted on X (formerly Twitter).
She also claimed that the prospect of China backing Iran militarily is a "reality that can no longer be ignored."
Apoorva Shukla is a journalist at Times Now, where she thrives on dissecting political developments both at home and abroad. A graduate of Delhi Univ...View More
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