Bond.az reports that Iran has seized a support vessel owned by a Chinese maritime security firm near the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident marks the first known impoundment of a private security vessel since the onset of the U.S.-Iran conflict, signaling restrictions on transit permissions even for entities tied to Beijing.
The targeted ship, the Honduran-flagged Hui Chuan, is owned by Hong Kong-registered Sinoguards Marine Security.
According to company statements, Iranian authorities detained the vessel on Thursday, requesting a "documentation and compliance inspection" before escorting it into Iranian waters.
The vessel had been at anchor 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. In this region, strict port gun regulations require private security firms to store weapons offshore on floating armories.
Sinoguards founder Mario Yun Zhou declined to comment on whether the Hui Chuan was actively operating as a floating armory at the time of the seizure, stating only that the firm operates under "applicable flag state authorizations and regulatory requirements relevant to its operational scope."
The maritime seizure coincided directly with the commencement of a diplomatic summit in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where regional security and international pressure on Iran topped the bilateral agenda.
Following the conclusion of the talks, the White House issued a statement confirming that Trump and Xi agreed "the Strait of Hormuz should remain a free waterway and Iran shouldn't be able to exact payments for the use of shipping lanes."
A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the vessel's detention, noting that there were no Chinese nationals among the crew members onboard the Hui Chuan.
