Beijing, China - China on Wednesday denied again that a ship intercepted by the US contained an unspecified "gift" for Iran, as President Donald Trump has claimed.

Trump said that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained "a gift from China," which "wasn't very nice."

His comments came after former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley claimed on X that the ship was sailing from China to Iran and was linked to chemical shipments for missiles.

Responding to Haley's accusations at a regular news briefing on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the vessel was "a foreign container ship," and that China opposed "any malicious association and speculation."

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Asked about Trump's comments on Wednesday, Guo said China had already stated its position.

"As a responsible major country, China has always set a good example in fulfilling its due international obligation," he added.

Trump had said Tuesday that he was "a little surprised", given he thought he had an "understanding" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he claimed guaranteed there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran.

China is a close partner of Iran and has called out the unprovoked US-Israeli war, but it has also criticized retaliations against on Gulf countries and urged a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.