China Denies U.S.-Detained Ship in Middle East Contained ‘Gift’ for Iran

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun at the regular press briefing in Beijing on April 22, 2026. Image via the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China on Wednesday denied again that a ship intercepted by the United States contained a “gift” from Beijing for Iran, a day after US President Donald Trump made the accusation.

Trump had said that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by U.S. forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained “a gift from China,” which “wasn’t very nice.”

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