US being 'humiliated' by Iran, German chancellor says

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a Wednesday press briefing that Beijing is fulfilling its "due international obligations" after President Donald Trump said U.S. forces enforcing the blockade of Iran in the Persian Gulf intercepted a vessel carrying what he described as a "gift from China."

Trump told CNBC on Tuesday, "We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn't very nice, a gift from China, perhaps, I don't know, but I was a little surprised, but because I have a very good relationship, and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi [Jinping], but that's all right, that's the way war goes, right?"

Guo said Wednesday, "China has stated its position many times. We would like to reiterate that, as a responsible major power, China has consistently and exemplary fulfilled its due international obligations."

Nikki Haley, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's first term, alleged on Tuesday that a tanker disabled and intercepted by U.S. forces over the weekend was en route to Iran from China and carrying chemicals used to produce missile fuel.

Guo said on Tuesday that the vessel was "a foreign container ship" and that Beijing "rejects any false association and speculation."

-ABC News' Karson Yiu

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported a second incident involving an unnamed cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred around 8 nautical miles off the Iranian coast. A crewmember reported "having been fired upon" with the vessel then stopping. There was no reported damage to the vessel and no reported casualties, the UKMTO said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The unnamed vessel was approached by an IRGC gunboat and fired upon without any preceding challenge, UKMTO said. The IRGC fire "caused heavy damage to the bridge" but there were no casualties or environmental impacts reported, the alert said.

The incident occurred around 15 nautical miles northeast of the Omani coast in the eastern portion of the Strait of Hormuz, the UKMTO said.

President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that Iran wants the Strait of Hormuz opened in a post to social media on Tuesday, shortly after he announced an open-ended extension of the ceasefire with Tehran.

"Iran is collapsing financially!" Trump wrote. "They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately -- Starving for cash!"

In an earlier social media post, Trump insisted that Iran is "losing" because of the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The president also claimed that Iran only wants to close the Strait in order to "save face."

Without specifying who, Trump also claimed that "people" told him "four days ago" that Iran wants to reopen the Strait, but he declined to lift the blockade because he says this is the U.S.' leverage point to secure a deal.

"But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!" Trump wrote.

The president also again extolled recent American military achievements in Iran. "Their entire Navy is at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar is wiped out, their Nuclear Labs and Storage Areas were OBLITERATED late one dark June evening by our Great B-2 Bombers, their leaders are DEAD," Trump wrote.

-ABC News' Meghan Mistry and Emily Chang