Iran to receive Chinese shoulder-launched missile systems within weeks, sources say
TEHRAN – Iran is preparing to take delivery within weeks of an initial consignment of as many as 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers, three people familiar with the arrangement told Reuters, as Tehran moves to rebuild its defences during its war with the United States.
The deal, worth an estimated $60-70 million, ranks among the most significant known steps by Iran to reinforce its short-range air defences since the start of the conflict with the U.S. and Israel, which revealed vulnerabilities in the protection of Iranian military facilities and strategic infrastructure.
The agreement includes between 300 and 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), among them Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, according to the sources.
The contract was concluded with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-based firm that the sources said served as an intermediary linking the Iranian side with the Chinese supplier.
IRAN NEEDS TO REARM AFTER MONTHS OF WAR
The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China’s Foreign Ministry said: “The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role in promoting peace and ending the conflict.”
Beijing-based Zhong Qing Bao Shang Group, the parent company of Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Tuesday.
Iran is seeking to replenish its arsenal after months of combat in which U.S. and Israeli strikes have targeted facilities connected to its missile, drone and air-defence programmes, while Tehran has answered with waves of ballistic missiles and drones.
The fighting has underscored how difficult it is to shield fixed military and strategic sites from advanced aircraft and precision-guided weapons. Washington abruptly halted two weeks of bombardment on Saturday, but President Donald Trump said strikes would restart if negotiations did not bring an end to the five-month-old conflict, which has in theory been under a ceasefire since April.
The arrival of hundreds of MANPADS would sharply increase Iran’s stock of short-range air-defence weapons and point to a further deepening of its military relationship with China.
The sources stressed that while the agreement has been signed, delivery timetables, final quantities and other details of implementation may still be revised.
Under a plan approved by the parties, initial deliveries would move by air from Urumqi in western China and then pass through Pakistan on the way to Iran, the sources said. They did not specify whether the onward transfers would be made by air or by road.
Pakistan’s military public relations wing, ISPR, said: “Speculations of Pakistan being involved in the supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false.” A spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
CHINA AND IRAN EXPLORE LAND ROUTES FOR DELIVERY, SOURCES SAY
Iran has spent heavily over the past 20 years on missiles, drones and radar, but military specialists say portable air-defence systems carry particular value because small teams can move, conceal and redeploy them quickly, making them harder to target than fixed air-defence batteries.
A European security source said authorities in his country were aware of several contracts being discussed for the possible sale of QW-series MANPADS to Iran, including QW-12, QW-18 and QW-19 systems.
A second security source, based in the Middle East, said Iran had been trying to buy QW-12 and QW-18 missiles, though they were not aware that any agreement had already been completed.
The QW-12 and FN-16 are shoulder-fired, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile systems built to strike low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones. Because they are mobile, they can be positioned quickly around military bases, energy infrastructure and other sensitive locations. Defence analysts consider the QW-12 less advanced than newer QW models, including the QW-18 and QW-19, but say the weapons can still add a useful short-range defensive layer against drones and low-altitude targets.
Two Western intelligence sources and an Iranian official said Tehran had also looked at moving Chinese military supplies and dual-use components overland to make shipments more discreet and lessen the risk of disruption.
The purchase illustrates the Islamic Republic’s continued dependence on both domestic arms production and outside suppliers, even after years of sanctions and limits on defence-related imports.
Reuters previously reported that Iran was nearing a separate deal with China to obtain anti-ship cruise missiles, citing people familiar with those talks. Reuters could not establish whether that agreement was completed.
