Iran has seized a support vessel owned by a Chinese maritime security company near the Strait of Hormuz, in a move that underscores rising tensions in one of the world’s most strategic shipping corridors. The incident marks the first known detention of a private security vessel since hostilities between the United States and Iran escalated, raising fresh concerns over freedom of navigation in the Gulf region.
The Honduran-flagged vessel, Hui Chuan, is owned by Hong Kong-registered Sinoguards Marine Security. Iranian authorities reportedly detained the ship on Thursday, citing the need for a “documentation and compliance inspection by the relevant authorities” before escorting it into Iranian waters.
At the time of the seizure, the vessel was anchored about 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, an area commonly used by private maritime security firms to store weapons offshore due to strict port firearms regulations. Sinoguards founder Mario Yun Zhou declined to disclose whether the Hui Chuan was functioning as a floating armoury when it was intercepted.
The seizure came as diplomatic talks opened in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with regional security and mounting international pressure on Iran dominating discussions. Following the summit, the White House said both leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz “should remain a free waterway and Iran shouldn’t be able to exact payments for the use of shipping lanes”.