Chinese Warship Shows Up Amid Rising US-Iran Threat of War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
China dispatched a warship to the Persian Gulf for a visit as tensions between Iran, Beijing's strategic partner, and the United States continue to grow over the nuclear program of Tehran.
The Chinese naval port call in the United Arab Emirates, a vital U.S. security partner, comes ahead of President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to the Gulf country next week, where the Middle East is his administration's focus on diplomacy and regional security cooperation.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment by email. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Newsweek written request for further comment.
On March 11, 2025, the Chinese destroyer CNS "Baotou" sails during joint military drills between Iran, Russia, and China in the Gulf of Oman.
On March 11, 2025, the Chinese destroyer CNS "Baotou" sails during joint military drills between Iran, Russia, and China in the Gulf of Oman.
Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images
Why It Matters
China deployed the 47th naval escort task force, consisting of the destroyer CNS Baotou, the frigate CNS Honghe, and the supply ship CNS Gaoyouhu, to the Gulf of Aden in December last year. This came as the nearby Red Sea was attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Beijing and Tehran have formed what they called a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to promote cooperation in military and other fields. China, which is a key buyer of Iranian oil, was recently targeted by U.S. sanctions as its private refiner purchased crude oil from Iran.
While Trump halted the bombings in Yemen unexpectedly, he continues to threaten Iran with the use of force unless a nuclear deal is reached. The Pentagon has also increased its military deployment near Iran, including the presence of two aircraft-carrier strike groups.
The Baotou (Hull 133), a new-generation guided-missile destroyer of the 47th Chinese naval escort task force, made a port call in #AbuDhabi, #UAE, on Sunday for a five-day replenishment and maintenance period. It is a Type 052DL destroyer, measuring 159 meters in length, with a… pic.twitter.com/DXEchxAm07 — China Daily (@ChinaDaily) May 4, 2025
What To Know
The Baotou, which is a Type 052DL destroyer, on Sunday arrived in Abu Dhabi for a five-day "replenishment and maintenance period" in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by the Chinese state-run newspaper China Daily.
A Chinese chamber of commerce based in the Gulf country claimed that the destroyer has what it called "powerful antiaircraft, anti-ship, and anti-submarine comprehensive combat capabilities," making the 7,000-ton warship an "all-around warrior guarding the sea frontier."
Meanwhile, the rest of the naval escort task force, the Honghe and Gaoyouhu, was spotted in the Arabian Sea on Sunday, said open-source intelligence researcher @MT_Anderson on X. They were operating less than 60 miles from the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
The Honghe and Gaoyouhu conducted a "multi-subject training" in the Gulf of Aden, which links the Red Sea with the Arabian Sea, in early April. The Baotou executed an escort mission for a sailing boat that departed from China in the region, the Chinese military said.
🇨🇳47th Escort Task Force🇨🇳
Spotted on 4 May 2025, 1x Type 54A & 1x Type 903 Replenishment vessel transiting the Arabian Sea pic.twitter.com/BTBLeilvfT — MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) May 5, 2025
The Chinese naval escort task force has helped Beijing in expanding its military reach and presence. The previous 46th task force was deployed for 339 days, which saw the vessels perform escort missions, as well as port visits and exercises, in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The Baotou's visit comes after a Pentagon assessment report, which said China is very likely considering and planning for additional military facilities in a number of countries, including the United Arab Emirates, located near the Strait of Hormuz, to support its force projection.
What People Are Saying
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said: "The [People's Liberation Army Navy] task groups conduct routine escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The recent deployment has nothing to do with the current situation in the [Red Sea] region. China will continue to act on the Global Security Initiative, safeguard international sea lanes and provide reliable escort to Chinese and foreign ships."
The Pentagon's Chinese military power assessment report read: "This naval [escort] activity demonstrates the [People's Liberation Army Navy]'s increasing familiarity with the area, hones its ability to operate in far seas, and enables the [People's Liberation Army Navy] to advance military diplomacy efforts by conducting port calls in Africa and the Middle East."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the current Chinese naval escort task force will conduct any exercises or port visits beyond its assigned operating area in the Gulf of Aden in the future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
20 minutes ago
- CNBC
Tesla head of manufacturing Omead Afshar fired by Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fired Omead Afshar, the automaker's vice president of manufacturing and operations, CNBC has confirmed, following declines in car sales in key markets this year. Afshar, who reported directly to Musk, led a team of more than a half-dozen high level employees, according to internal organizational charts viewed by CNBC. Forbes first reported that Afshar was dismissed by Musk. Bloomberg reported earlier that Afshar had left the company. Executives on Afshar's team included Troy Jones, who is Tesla's vice president of North American sales, and Joe Ward, vice president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Also on his team was Karen Steakley, who now leads business development and policy for Tesla, and previously held the role of deputy director for legislative affairs for Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott. CNBC reached out to Afshar and to other Tesla executives as well as board members. They didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Afshar was the subject of an internal investigation at Tesla in 2022, Bloomberg reported, which had focused on his orders of hard-to-get construction materials, including a special kind of glass for a secretive project for Musk. Following that probe, Afshar also worked for SpaceX, Musk's aerospace and defense contractor, but had returned to Tesla and was promoted to the vice president role. Afshar's termination follows the resignation of Milan Kovac, previously head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robotics program, earlier this month. Kovac said in a post on X that he was leaving in order to spend more time with his family. Musk has thanked Kovac publicly for his work. Tesla's stock price is down 19% this year, badly underperforming the Nasdaq and most of its megacap tech peers. Tesla new car sales in Europe fell for a fifth straight month in May, according to data published on Wednesday from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA, as customers pivot to cheaper Chinese electric vehicles. The company has faced brand and reputational damage in the past year, largely due to Musk's incendiary rhetoric and political activity. Musk spent nearly $300 million to help elect U.S. President Donald Trump to a second term and then led an initiative to slash federal agencies and their resources. Musk also formally endorsed and promoted Germany's far-right, anti-immigrant AfD party.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mexico's president slams sanctions on Mexican banks by Trump administration
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded sharply Thursday to U.S. government sanctions blocking transfers from three Mexican financial institutions, saying Washington hasn't shown evidence of its allegations of money laundering. The U.S. Treasury Department announced the sanctions Wednesday on the banks CIBanco and Intercam Banco and the brokerage Vector Casa de Bolsa, alleging that they had facilitated millions of dollars in money transfers for Mexican drug cartels. Sheinbaum said during her morning news briefing Thursday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had showed no evidence proving that the institutions carried out any money laundering, despite repeated requests for such evidence. 'The Treasury Department hasn't provided a single piece of evidence to show that any money laundering was taking place," she said. 'We aren't going to cover for anyone, there isn't impunity here. They have to be able to demonstrate that there was actually money laundering, not with words, but with strong evidence." The accused banks also fired back on the orders, rejecting the allegations and similarly citing a lack of evidence. Brokerage firm Vector said Wednesday night in a statement that it 'categorically rejects any allegation that compromises its institutional integrity" while Intercam said in a statement it denies being involved in any 'illegal practice.' Vector is owned by entrepreneur Alfonso Romo, who served as chief of staff to ex-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador early in his presidency. Manuel Somoza, president of strategies of CIBanco, told local press that they only heard about the order the same time it was made public, and noted that it wasn't a formal legal accusation, but rather an investigation. 'Our books are open," he said. 'Rumors are clearly damaging, whether they're true or not. So, what we want is for (American authorities) to come and investigate." Sheinbaum said they were notified by American officials of the accusations ahead of the Wednesday announcement, and that Mexican financial regulators carried out their own investigations into the institutions. They found "administrative infractions," she said, but nothing close to the accusations being levied by Treasury officials. In the orders blocking transactions between the three institutions and American banks, the Trump administration alleged that the three companies facilitated millions of dollars in transfers with Chinese companies, which it said were used to buy chemicals to produce fentanyl. The Treasury Department said the institutions had facilitated transfers to U.S. banks, but officials would not name which U.S. institutions were implicated nor provide more details. Sheinbaum countered that their own investigation simply showed that institutions had strong relationships with Chinese clients and banks, which she said was more of an indicator that the two countries share a robust trade relationship. China has been the main source of chemical precursors to produce fentanyl in Mexico, according to U.S. authorities. At the same time, the U.S. has increasingly sought to block growing Chinese influence and investment in Latin America. The leader also expressed frustration on Thursday morning, reminding Trump officials that Mexico is a sovereign nation and must be treated as an equal by the U.S. government. 'We're no one's piñata," she said. "Mexico must be respected.'
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Pete Hegseth Trashing Former Fox News Colleague Sparks Fury from Critics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host, publicly criticized his former colleague Jennifer Griffin, calling her "about the worst" during a Thursday morning press briefing, taking issue with her reporting and line of questioning on the administration's recent strikes against Iran. His remarks, which also lambasted the media and numerous outlets, have sparked backlash from critics and journalists. Why It Matters The exchange comes days after the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz. The Trump administration has lauded the military mission, in which B-2 stealth bombers used bunker bombs on Fordow, which is deep underground inside a mountain. Trump has said that the strikes resulted in "total obliteration" of the facility, although the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) preliminary report suggests damage and not complete destruction. The DIA is part of the Pentagon, which Hegseth oversees. Hegseth's rebuke of Griffin comes as members of the Trump administration increasingly use personal attacks in response to dissenting views or media coverage. During the briefing, Hegseth criticized the press for its reporting on the leaked initial damage assessment that cast doubt on the totality of the strikes, echoing sentiments expressed by the president on his social media platform. (L): Jennifer Griffin attends AI Honors hosted by the Washington AI Network at Waldorf Astoria on June 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. (R): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon,... (L): Jennifer Griffin attends AI Honors hosted by the Washington AI Network at Waldorf Astoria on June 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. (R): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. Morefor Haddad Media/ AP Photo/Kevin Wolf What To Know On Thursday, during the question and answer portion of the briefing, Griffin, Fox News' chief national security correspondent, asked Hegseth, "Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow mountain, or some of it, because there were satellite photos that showed more than a dozen trucks there two days in advance—are you certain that none of the highly enriched uranium was moved?" Uranium enrichment increases the concentration of uranium-235, the isotope necessary to sustain a nuclear chain reaction used in both power generation and nuclear weapons. The process is central to weapons development, which the U.S. and Israel accuse Iran of pursuing, though Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for energy purposes. The comment comes after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said, "We do not have information on the whereabouts of this material" in reference to 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium that Iranian officials said had been removed ahead of the strikes. Grossi said the comments on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum on Tuesday. Hegseth responded to Griffin first stating, "of course we are watching ever single aspect," and then took a jab at the veteran journalist, saying, "Jennifer, you've been about the worst. The one who misrepresents the most intentionally." Griffin, who appeared shocked, responded by pointing out her reporting on the B-2s and the mission as a whole, adding, "So, I take issue with that." Many have called out Hegseth's response to Griffin and noted her storied journalist background, with another former Fox colleague Brit Hume saying it was an undeserved "attack." Newsweek reached out to Fox New's press team for comment via email on Thursday, and they directed Newsweek to Hume's comments on the matter. During the press briefing, he accused the media of twisting "half-truths" due to what he described as a deep-seated desire to "cheer against Trump so hard," telling the press room it's "in your DNA" to root against the president. Trump applauded the press conference, writing on Truth Social, "One of the greatest, most professional, and most 'confirming' News Conferences I have ever seen. The Fake News should fire everyone involved in this Witch Hunt, and apologize to our great warriors, and everyone else!" What People Are Saying Brit Hume, Fox News Channel's chief political analyst, said on Thursday: "I'd like to say a word if I may, Dana, about Jennifer Griffin, who was attacked by the Defense Secretary today. An attack she certainly in my view did not deserve. Her professionalism, her knowledge, her experience at the Pentagon is unmatched. I have had and still have the greatest regard for her. The attack on her was unfair." Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of the left leaning and Trump-critical MeidasTouch, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Hegseth even attacks the Fox correspondent. This whole thing is just attacking the media." Daniel Koh, former deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House office of intergovernmental affairs, wrote in an X post on Thursday: "What an embarrassment for our country. @JenGriffinFNC— well-respected across the aisle — asked a fair question re: actions in Iran. She handled @PeteHegseth's absurd response with far more professionalism than he showed her. If a question shakes him, he can't handle the job." Brian Krassenstein, who has over 900,000 followers on X, wrote: "Fox News Reporter Jennifer Griffin just asked an incredibly important question and Hegseth completely loses it, going off on is better than this!" Republicans Against Trump wrote on X: "What a jerk." What Happens Next More detailed intelligence on the impact of the strikes is expected to be released in the coming days, as officials assess the extent of the damage.
