LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Iran is close to reaching a deal with China to buy anti-ship missiles, according to six people with knowledge of the negotiations, as the United States mobilizes a vast naval force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible attacks on the Islamic Republic.
The deal for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles is nearing completion, although no delivery date has been agreed upon, the people said. The supersonic missiles have a range of around 290 kilometers and are designed to evade naval defenses by flying low and fast. Its deployment would significantly increase Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a threat to US naval forces in the region, two weapons experts said.
Negotiations with China to purchase the missile weapons systems, which began at least two years ago, accelerated sharply after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, according to the six people with knowledge of the negotiations, including three officials who were briefed by the Iranian government, as well as three security representatives. As negotiations entered their final phase last summer, senior Iranian military and government officials traveled to China, including Massoud Oraei, Iran’s deputy defense minister, according to two of the security officials. Oraei’s visit had not previously been publicized.
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“It’s a complete game changer if Iran has supersonic capabilities to attack ships in the area,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and now a senior Iran researcher at the Israel Institute for National Security Studies. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”
Reuters was unable to determine how many missiles were involved in the potential deal, how much Iran agreed to pay or whether China would go ahead with the deal given rising tensions in the region.
“Iran has military and security agreements with its allies, and now is the appropriate time to make use of these agreements,” an Iranian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters.
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In a comment sent after the report was published, China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of negotiations over a possible missile sale reported by Reuters. China’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
The White House did not comment directly on negotiations between Iran and China over the missile system when asked by Reuters. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that “either we will make a deal or we will have to take very tough measures, like last time,” said a White House official, referring to the current standoff with Iran.
The missiles would be among the most advanced military equipment to be transferred to Iran by China and would defy the United Nations arms embargo, first imposed in 2006. Sanctions were lifted in 2015 as part of a nuclear deal with the US and allies, and then reimposed last September.
The potential sale would reinforce deepening military relations between China and Iran at a time of heightened regional tension, complicating U.S. efforts to contain Iran’s missile program and curb its nuclear activities. It would also signal China’s growing desire to assert itself in a region long dominated by US military power.
