Iran is close to a deal with China to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles, according to six people familiar with the negotiations, as the United States deploys a large naval force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic.
The deal for the Chinese-made CM-302 missiles is nearing completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the sources said. The supersonic missiles have a range of about 290 kilometres and are designed to evade shipborne defences by flying low and fast. Their deployment would significantly enhance Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a threat to U.S. naval forces in the region, two weapons experts said.
Negotiations with China to buy the missile 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 familiar with the talks, including three officials briefed by the Iranian government and three security officials.
As discussions entered their final stages last summer, senior Iranian military and government officials travelled to China, including Massoud Oraei, Iran’s deputy defence minister, according to two of the security officials. Oraei’s visit has not previously been reported.
“It’s a complete gamechanger if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”
Reuters could not determine how many missiles were involved in the potential deal, how much Iran agreed to pay, or whether China would proceed with the agreement given heightened tensions in the region.
“Iran has military and security agreements with its allies, and now is an appropriate time to make use of these agreements,” an Iranian foreign ministry official said.
In a comment sent after publication, China’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of the reported talks. China’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The White House did not directly address the negotiations when asked. U.S. President Donald Trump has been clear that “either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” a White House official said, referring to the current standoff with Iran.
The missiles would be among the most advanced military hardware transferred to Iran by China and would defy a United Nations weapons embargo first imposed in 2006. Sanctions were suspended in 2015 as part of a nuclear deal with the United States and its allies, then reimposed last September.
The potential sale would underscore deepening military ties between China and Iran at a moment of heightened regional tension, complicating U.S. efforts to contain Iran’s missile programme and curb its nuclear activities. It would also signal China’s growing willingness to assert itself in a region long dominated by U.S. military power.
China, Iran and Russia conduct annual joint naval exercises, and last year the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned several Chinese entities for supplying chemical precursors to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for use in its ballistic missile programme. China rejected those allegations, saying it strictly enforces export controls on dual-use products.
While hosting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for a military parade in Beijing in September, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China supports Iran in safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity.
China joined Russia and Iran in a joint letter on October 18 stating their belief that the decision to reimpose sanctions was flawed.
One official briefed on the negotiations said Iran has become a strategic arena between the United States on one side and Russia and China on the other.
The deal comes as the United States assembles a naval force within striking distance of Iran, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group. The USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are also heading to the region. Together, the two carriers can carry more than 5,000 personnel and 150 aircraft.
Trump said on February 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach an agreement over its nuclear programme or face military action. The United States is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if an attack is ordered, Reuters reported earlier.
The CM-302 purchase would significantly upgrade an Iranian arsenal weakened by last year’s conflict, said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
China’s state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation markets the CM-302 as a leading anti-ship missile capable of sinking an aircraft carrier or destroyer. The system can be mounted on ships, aircraft or mobile ground vehicles and can also strike land targets.
Iran is also in discussions to acquire Chinese surface-to-air missile systems, man-portable air defence systems, anti-ballistic weapons and anti-satellite weapons, the sources said.
China was a major arms supplier to Iran in the 1980s, but large-scale transfers declined by the late 1990s under international pressure. In recent years, U.S. officials have accused Chinese companies of providing missile-related materials to Iran but have not publicly accused China of supplying complete missile systems.
