President Donald Trump on Tuesday said US forces intercepted a ship carrying a “gift” to Iran from China as Tehran tries to restock its military during a ceasefire period.

The ship had “a gift from China” which “wasn’t very nice,” Trump told CNBC. “I was a little surprised,” he added, saying he thought he had an “understanding” with China’s President Xi Jinping.

A week ago, Trump announced that Xi had assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran, a close partner with Beijing for years.