Iranian container ship intercepted by US could be carrying military cargo

Shipping security sources said the Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, seized by U.S. Marines in the Gulf of Oman on April 19, may have been carrying dual-use goods.

The ship, traveling from China to Malaysia, was intercepted on approach to the Iranian port of Khabahar after ignoring warnings for six hours that it was violating a US blockade. Before this, the rudder and radar of the container ship were disabled.

The ship’s captain, Bakhtiyar Hosseinzadeh, is reportedly a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to information provided by the US Central Command, the inspected containers contained electronic equipment, pipes and metal parts suitable, among other things, for military use.

However, former US Ambassador to the UN Nicky Haley said on social network X that the ship was also carrying Chinese chemicals for the Iranian missile program.