The U.S. Navy has actively boarded, redirected, or seized Chinese-owned, Chinese-crewed, or Chinese-managed commercial vessels attempting to run crude or dual-use items into or out of Iranian waters. For instance, interdictions of vessels like the M/V Touska (a container ship fresh off port stops in Zhuhai, China) or "dark fleet" tankers like the M Sophia show that Chinese business operations offer zero immunity against boarding teams. A civilian container ship flying a Chinese flag (or carrying Chinese cargo) that is simply transiting the open international shipping lanes of the Strait bound for non-Iranian ports (like Dubai, Qatar, or Kuwait) is permitted through—provided it isn't paying illicit transit tolls to Tehran or carrying contraband under sanctions enforcement.
