US forces intercepted ‘gift from China’ to Iran, Donald Trump says

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US forces had intercepted a “gift from China” to Iran.
Speaking ahead of the expiry of the current…

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US forces had intercepted a “gift from China” to Iran.

Speaking ahead of the expiry of the current two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, Trump told CNBC that Tehran had “probably done a little bit of restocking” and implied that Beijing had been helping its efforts.

He added: “We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China.

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“Perhaps, I don’t know, but I was a little surprised, but very good relationship but I thought I had an understanding with President Xi [Jinping], but that’s all right. That’s the way war goes.”

China’s foreign ministry denied the allegation, saying it “opposes meticulous association” and that it was a foreign-flagged ship.

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