Not a very friendly move by Tehran.
Just yesterday (6), the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing, meeting with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The two ministers reportedly discussed bilateral ties, the Iran-U.S. conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and regional issues.
But today, as Araghchi is already back in Tehran, the unpredictable happened, with the Iranians reportedly striking a Chinese-owned cargo ship in the Hormuz waterways.
The attack was confirmed by US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz.
Confirmed. Chinese owned ship struck by Iran 🇮🇷 in the Strait of Hormuz. With friends like these… https://t.co/qIuBrU9EPl
— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) May 7, 2026
Newsmax reported:
“A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported, as President Donald Trump launched a U.S. plan that day to help stranded vessels but suspended it a day later.
This was the first time a Chinese oil tanker has been attacked, a person with knowledge of the matter told Caixin on Thursday. The unnamed vessel’s deck caught fire and the ship was marked ‘CHINA OWNER & CREW’, according to Caixin.”
A Chinese-owned oil tanker has been hit near the Strait of Hormuz in the first confirmed civilian ship strike of the Iran conflict. The vessel, marked “CHINA OWNER & CREW,” suffered a deck fire, raising concerns about Beijing’s mediation posture. #Hormuz
— Hormuz Watch (@HormuzWatch) May 7, 2026
“Maritime security sources said the Chinese vessel that was damaged was believed to be the Marshall Islands-flagged oil products and chemical tanker JV Innovation, which had reported a fire on its deck to nearby ships on Monday.”
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