File image.
China sent around 1,300 air shipments of dual-use components to Iran’s Defense Ministry during the first half of the year, including equipment that can be used in drones and missile systems, The Wall Street Journal reported on September 24, citing Iranian customs records.
The shipments arrived as the Islamic Republic came under growing pressure during its war with the United States and Israel.
According to the report, the deliveries provided Tehran with an important supply channel after sanctions and restrictions on maritime trade disrupted other routes.
The customs records included shipments of GPS devices, electric motors, aircraft engine parts and other electronics that have both civilian and military applications. Some of the imports were classified as defense-related and were exempt from Iranian tariffs, according to the Journal.
One shipment reached Tehran on June 17, the same day the U.S. and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire, while China was publicly promoting its efforts to help end the fighting. Two days later, more than a dozen additional shipments arrived carrying parts valued at more than $6 million that could be used in drones, the report said.
The increase in deliveries coincided with a sharp expansion in air cargo links between China and Iran. Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier under U.S. sanctions, increased its flights from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Tehran from about four per week in early March to roughly 27 per week by late April, according to flight-tracking data cited by the Journal.
The report described the shipments as part of broader Chinese economic and industrial support that has helped Iran maintain supplies for its weapons programs despite U.S. pressure.
China is also Iran’s main oil buyer, while Washington has sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong entities over alleged assistance to Tehran in obtaining military-related components.
In addition, the report noted that Chinese companies had supplied Iran with chemical precursors used in weapons production.
Earlier this month, the Journal reported that Chinese entities provided high-quality satellite imagery of a U.S. Air Force base in Jordan before and after Iran’s July 17 ballistic missile attack on the facility, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter. Beijing has rejected accusations that Chinese firms supplied imagery for targeting U.S. forces.
Chinese authorities have rejected accusations that Beijing is fueling the conflict, saying China follows international rules and controls exports of dual-use goods. Iranian officials did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.
The findings come as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, with China’s relationship with Iran expected to be among the issues surrounding the talks.
Even before the start of the war, the U.S. made it clear that isolating Iran was one of its goals. Yet, recent reports, including the latest by the Journal, indicate that the Islamic Republic is receiving military support not just from China, but also from Russia, although this is happening in indirect ways.
The failure to isolate Tehran has turned what Washington hoped would be a short war into a prolonged conflict, one that will likely outlive the Trump administration.
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