Reuters Special Report: Iran to receive Chinese shoulder-fired missiles, first shipment in weeks
Iran is buying Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense missiles (MANPADS) to bolster its air defense capabilities after months of war with the United States and Israel. The first shipment of the missiles could arrive in the country in the coming weeks, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The deal, worth between $60 million and $70 million, will buy 300 to 400 MANPADS, including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, the sources said. The deal was brokered between Iran and the Chinese supplier through a Hong Kong-based company called Zhongxing Baoshang International Investment, the sources said.
However, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the reports as “completely baseless”. In a statement, it said China has always played a role in peacekeeping and conflict resolution. Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Similarly, there was no response from the agency mentioned as the mediator in the deal.
Reuters reported that the need to rebuild the country’s defense system has become clear after US and Israeli attacks damaged various facilities related to Iran’s missile, drone and air defense programs. Although Iran has launched ballistic missile and drone attacks in retaliation, the conflict has exposed the limitations of the country’s ability to protect its permanent military installations.
The sources said that although the deal has been signed, the delivery schedule, quantity and various aspects of implementation are still subject to change. According to the plan, the shipment will first be sent by air from Urumqi in western China. It is then supposed to reach Iran via Pakistan. However, it has not been confirmed whether the final leg of the transport will be by air or road.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the claim that Pakistan is involved in the supply of air defense weapons from China to Iran is completely false and fabricated. According to military analysts, shoulder-mounted air defense systems can be easily operated and quickly deployed by small teams. As a result, they are harder to destroy than fixed missile defense batteries and can provide effective defense against drones, helicopters and low-flying fighter jets.
A European security source said that they were aware of several deals being discussed for the sale of QW-12, QW-18 and QW-19 series MANPADS to Iran. Another Middle Eastern security source claimed that Iran was particularly interested in buying the QW-12 and QW-18 missiles, but they were not aware of the finalization of the deal.
Reuters also reported, citing Western intelligence sources and an Iranian official, that China and Iran had also secretly considered the possibility of using land routes to transport military equipment and dual-use items. Earlier, Reuters reported that Iran was also close to a separate deal to buy anti-ship cruise missiles from China. However, it is not certain whether the deal was ultimately implemented.
