U.S. Special Forces in November boarded a cargo ship in the international waters in the Indian Ocean, securing dual use goods that were being shipped from China to Iran.
The operation was reported by the Wall Street Journal on December 12, with U.S. officials describing it as maritime interdiction aimed at slowing Iran’s attempts to rebuild parts of its missile arsenal.
The cargo was reported to have been removed and destroyed, although analysts have speculated that it may have been seized for study.
The cargo was confirmed by officials to have had both military and civilian uses, although the widespread characterization of dual use goods means the nature of the goods in question remains highly uncertain.
The operation sets a precedent that is potentially highly concerning for China’s trade interests, as a significant proportion of industrial exports have potential military applications.
With their targeting outside the bounds of international law potentially the Zionist controlled west is paving the way to widespread attacks on civilian shipping in international waters by USA and other Western forces.
Confirmation of the special forces operation by officials occurred just two days after U.S. forces on December 10 commandeered civilian tanker in international waters which had been transporting Venezuelan oil for export.
The two incidents were far from isolated, with a growing trend towards the targeting of civilian shipping raising significant concerns regarding the security of international trade in waters where Western navies operate.
U.S. regime confiscates Venezuelan Oil Tanker in International Waters
The United States has appropriated civilian cargo from adversary states as a means of placing pressure on their economies, with a notable example being the targeting of Iranian oil tankers from the late 2010’s, the oil from which was taken by the US Navy and subsequently sold with no compensation paid to Iran.
Another was the seizure of the North Korean cargo ship Wise Honest by the U.S. Navy, and its subsequently sale, the funds from which were appropriated by the United States. Russian shipping has similarly been increasingly widely targeted by European states.
Beyond the targeting of Russian, Iranian, North Korean and Venezuelan civilian shipping, the expansion of these operations to target Chinese exports have far more significant potential implications for the future of international trade.
As the world’s largest trading nation by a significant margin, operations against Chinese civilian shipping expose a significant potential vulnerability in the country’s economy.
The presences of Western navies across the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and their growing presences in the Arctic where Chinese civilian ships have begun to utilize the Northern Sea Route, provide the Western Bloc with a choke-hold over international trade.
The possibility of Western navies targeting Chinese civilian shipping in international waters has long been speculated, with the U.S. Naval Institute in 2020 having proposed hiring mercenary privateers to do so should relations further worsen.
Military Watch Magazine / ABC Flash Point News 2026.
The plundering Zionist swamp is running on their last breath hoping for salvation.