The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that “a group of US special operations forces boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-grade materials that were en route from China to Iran.” According to sources, after confiscating the shipment, the US forces allowed the ship, which was hundreds of miles off the coast of Sri Lanka, to continue its journey.
The newspaper stated that the United States had been tracking this shipment for a while and that it consisted of materials that could be used in Iran’s military program. Another source indicated to the newspaper that Washington had received information about suppliers involved in providing components used in Iran’s missile program.
The newspaper adds that this is the first time in years that the US military has disclosed intercepting a Chinese-origin shipment destined for Iran. The newspaper could not determine the name of the ship or its owner.
