Iran is close to securing supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China as the US ramps up naval pressure in the Middle East for a possible strike on the Islamic Republic, according to a new report.
Tehran is nearing the purchase of Chinese CM-302 missiles, which have a range of about 180 miles and are capable of flying low and fast enough to evade a ship’s aerial defenses, sources told Reuters.
The missiles would significantly bolster Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a direct threat to America’s growing naval forces in the region, experts warned.
“It’s a complete gamechanger if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies think tank.
“These missiles are very difficult to intercept,” the former Israeli intelligence officer added.
China’s state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation touts the CM-302 as the world’s best anti-ship missile, claiming that it is even capable of sinking an aircraft carrier or destroyer.
Iran has been in talks with China on purchasing the advanced missile for at least two years, with the negotiations speeding up after its recent 12-day war with Israel, six Iranian government and security officials told Reuters.
During the conflict, Iran saw its arsenal greatly depleted after Israel’s bombardments, said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Tehran and Beijing entered the final stages of their missile-buying deal after the strike, with Iranian deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei allegedly traveling to China to help close it out.
It remains unclear when a delivery date could take place or exactly how many missiles would be involved once the deal is sealed.
“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 told Reuters about the potential deal.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it was not aware of negotiations over the reputed deal.
An arrangement of this kind would be the largest military trade between Iran and China yet — and defy a United Nations weapons embargo originally put in place in 2006 and then reinstated last year.
Along with the long-range weapons, Iran is also in talks to purchase Chinese surface‑to‑air missile systems, so-called MANPADS, anti‑ballistic weapons and anti-satellite weapons, according to Reuters.
The build-up in arms comes as the US continues to increase its military forces in the Middle East region, with Trump warning of looming attacks on Iran if the Islamic Republic does not agree to a new nuclear deal.
Tehran has warned that any attack on Iran would result in retaliatory strikes on US troops and allies in the region.
With Post wires
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