appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Khushboo Razdan

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that American 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 to replenish ammunition.
The “America first” president said that the US had used the last “four-five weeks” to “restock” and that the US had “so much ammo”.
He added: “We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China.”
The claim was first made by former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Trump then injected a note of doubt, saying: “Perhaps, I don’t know, but I was a little surprised … but I thought I had an understanding with President Xi [Jinping], but that’s all right. That’s the way war goes.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


China’s foreign ministry denied the allegation.
“To my knowledge, this is a foreign-flagged container ship. China opposes any malicious links and hype,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Haley made the allegation about the ship in a social media post, saying it had “refused repeated orders to stop”.
She added it was “another reminder that China is helping prop up Iran’s regime – a reality that can’t be ignored”.
On Sunday, Trump said US naval forces that were blockading the Strait of Hormuz had seized a vessel bound for Iranian ports.
The waterway, a key shipping route for global oil supplies, has been closed to most ships since the US and Israel began their assault on February 28.
In a nearly 30-minute interview on Tuesday, Trump said of the shipping lane: “We’re not opening. We totally control the strait.”
US markets were down modestly in Tuesday morning trading following ⁠global equities as optimism over the peace talks faded. Gold also dropped and US crude prices rose.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called the move to blockade Iranian ports “an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire”.
“Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation. Iran knows how to neutralise restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying,” he said on social media.
Meanwhile, the US has been expanding its blockade to other theatres.
In a statement released early Tuesday morning, the Pentagon announced that US forces had boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight without incident.
US personnel conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime” interdiction and boarded the “stateless sanctioned” M/T Tifani in the US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) area of responsibility, the Pentagon said in a social media post, adding: “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels”.
As the two adversaries circle warily in advance of any talks, Iran countered with its own tough talk along with an opening.
“The Iranian people are unyielding and will never surrender,” a government spokeswoman posted on X, before adding: “Yet, if talks are based on mutual respect and recognition of rights, Iran has always been a pioneer of diplomacy.”
Trump also ruled out extending the temporary truce with Iran, saying he would not be “rushed” by “people that are really treasonous”.
“I want to make a good deal. I’m not going to be rushed. I have all the time in the world. I want to make not a good deal. Want to make a great deal,” Trump said.
But Trump has previously vowed not to extend deadlines only to prolong them when the other side does not capitulate.
As the clock ticks towards the Wednesday truce deadline, Trump told CNBC that he was ready to send Vice-President J.D. Vance to Islamabad, Pakistan, for a second round of talks – but also resume bombing if there no resolution reached.
“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he said, asserting that Tehran had “no choice” but to send a delegation. Iran has yet to confirm whether it is sending a team for talks. Vance remains in Washington and took part in policy meetings at the White House on Tuesday.
Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s minister for information and broadcasting, on Tuesday said that Pakistan “as the mediator is in constant touch with Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue”.


Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Economist Justin Lin urges West to adopt ‘Eastern wisdom’ as China moves up value chain

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

US firms dash to recover tariffs paid on Chinese imports as refund system launches

US-China relations

US forces on patrol near the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Handout

Donald Trump predicts meeting with Xi Jinping will be ‘special’ ahead of China visit

Xi and Trump pictured during their most recent meeting in South Korea last year. Photo: dpa

Will China arm Iran during its ceasefire with US and Israel?

An Iranian woman walks past a large-scale billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘Forever on Iran’s hand’, at a square in Tehran, Iran, 15 April 2026. Photo: EPA

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday. Photo: AP

News

China

Diplomacy

US president says Beijing had sent something ‘that wasn’t very nice’ even though he thought he had an ‘understanding’ with Xi Jinping


US president says Beijing had sent something ‘that wasn’t very nice’ even though he thought he had an ‘understanding’ with Xi Jinping.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US president says Beijing had sent something ‘that wasn’t very nice’ even though he thought he had an ‘understanding’ with Xi Jinping

US president says Beijing had sent something ‘that wasn’t very nice’ even though he thought he had an ‘understanding’ with Xi Jinping