Islamabad: US intelligence sources warn that China is poised to supply Iran with shoulder-fired MANPADS air defense systems in the weeks ahead, potentially routing them covertly via third countries, CNN reported on Friday citing three briefed officials. These developments precede high-level US-Iran negotiations launching here on Saturday to end a six-week conflict.
These systems, per the US State Department, consist of man-portable air defense setups: shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles handled by a single operator or minimal team, featuring a missile in a protective launch tube (discarded post-firing), gripstock, battery, and simple sights, as reported by Mint.
Beijing’s Reported Plans And Past Ties
CNN, drawing from anonymous sources, detailed Beijing’s preparations to furnish Iran with these portable anti-aircraft missiles. China once served as a primary arms provider to Iran in the 1980s, but major transfers tapered off by the 1990s under international scrutiny. Lately, Washington has pointed fingers at Chinese firms for supplying Iran missile development components, without alleging full missile deliveries.
China, Iran, and Russia conduct yearly joint naval manoeuvres. In 2025, the US Treasury hit several Chinese groups with sanctions for purportedly sending chemical precursors to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for ballistic missiles; Beijing countered it enforces strict dual-use export rules and lacked case specifics.
Embassy Rebuttal And Broader Stance
A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington rejected the claims: “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfils its international obligations. We urge the US side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.”
On October 18, China joined Russia and Iran in a joint letter decrying reinstated sanctions as misguided.
Washington Cautions Escalation Risks
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cautioned on Friday that Beijing’s steps clashing with American priorities in Iran would tangle relations, Reuters reported from his CNBC interview.
“The underlying goals of our economies are so different. But there’s a way where we can have some economic stability. If China is going to be involved in Iran in a way that’s harmful to U.S. interests, then that obviously complicates it, and that’s China’s responsibility to eliminate that,” Greer said.
He anticipates a productive summit next month between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping, a year on from US global tariffs.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Israeli expert Citrinowicz on Iran said: “China does not want to see a pro-Western regime in Iran”.
