Amid concerns over the resumption of the war in the Middle East, Iran is reportedly expected to receive a first shipment of Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers in a few weeks.
China says reports ‘groundless’
However, China’s foreign ministry issued a statement dismissing the reports and said, “The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role in promoting peace and ending the conflict.”
The Hong Kong-based company’s parent, Beijing-based Zhong Qing Bao Shang Group, has not commented on the contract, nor has Iran.
Tehran needs to restock its arms after months of fighting with the US and Israel, wherein the Islamic Republic responded to attacks on its military facilities with barrages of ballistic missiles and drones.
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The Chinese MANPADS would significantly bolster Iran’s inventory, underscoring the deepening ties between Tehran and Beijing.
The deliveries would reportedly be sent by air from western China’s Urumqi and then transferred to Iran via Pakistan. However, it wasn’t clear whether the final transit would occur by road or air.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani military’s public relations wing dismissed reports of its role in the Iran-China arms deal, as Beijing had done.
Why portable air-defence systems are crucial
The $60-70 million-worth purchase is now reportedly the Islamic Republic’s largest effort to boost its air defences as the US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran exposed gaps in its ability to protect military and strategic sites.
The deal between Tehran and Beijing covers the purchase of between 300 and 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including China-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, the report stated.
“Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false,” the statement said.
Military experts have reportedly said that while Iran has heavily invested in missiles, drones and radar in the past two decades. They said that portable air-defence systems are crucial because they can be deployed quickly, operated by small teams, and relocated easily.
These portable systems are less vulnerable than the fixed air-defence batteries.
The QW-12 is less capable than newer QW variants, including the QW-18 and QW-19, defence analysts reportedly said. But they added that the systems could still provide an effective security layer of short-range protection against drones and low-flying targets.
US President Donald Trump has recently warned that it would be “very bad” for China and Russia if Washington finds that they are helping Iran in the war.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran- And that statement included Chinese Companies.”
Trump said he would take Xi at his word because of their relationship, adding that the US is doing China “very big favours”.
“Likewise, President Putin … told me that he would not sell Weapons to Iran,” he added.
His remarks came after defense secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that Russia and China are “enabling Iran”.
For the first time since US President Donald Trump paused strikes on Iran on Friday, Tehran on Tuesday launched multiple ballistic missiles towards an American military base in Jordan.
The US Central Command said that the attack launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was an “attempted surprise attack” on US forces.
“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” the Central Command added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that he thinks that the US has a “very strong position right now.” He further reiterated his threat to bomb Iran’s major bridges if no peace deal is reached, adding that he would like to “avoid doing so” if he can.
On Monday as well, the US President told Axios that Washington was in “very deep talks” with Tehran. But, warned that the US would return to “very strong military action” if the way of diplomacy failed.
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The first shipment would be out of up to 400 such Chinese missile launchers, Reuters reported, citing three sources familiar with the deal.
The Islamic Republic signed the contract with Hong Kong-based Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, which, according to Reuters, was acting as an intermediary between the Iranian side and the Chinese firm.
The report stated that the sources cited by it had commented on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Though the contract has been signed, other logistics, including delivery schedules, quantities and other implementation details could still change, sources cited by Reuters said.
Iran had also explored overland routes to transport Chinese military supplies and dual-use components more discreetly, reducing the risk of any disruption, Reuters reported, citing an Iranian official and two Western intelligence sources.
Europe is aware of several contracts under discussion involving the possible sale of QW-series MANPADS to Iran, including QW-12, QW-18, and QW-19 systems, a European security source said, Reuters reported.
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Another security source in the Middle East, cited in the report, stated that it knew of Iran’s attempts to purchase the missiles, but was unaware of whether a deal had been fulfilled.
