US intelligence reports China's intention to supply Iran with air defense systems
China will deliver air defense systems to Iran in the coming weeks, using third countries to conceal the true source, according to CNN, citing three informed US intelligence sources.
One of the TV channel's interlocutors:
China does not want to openly engage in the conflict and defend Iran from the US and Israel. It understands perfectly well that this war is unwinnable. Instead, Beijing seeks to remain a reliable partner for Tehran, especially given its enormous dependence on Iranian oil, while retaining the ability to disavow all of its ties.
We are talking about portable anti-aircraftmissile QW-2 MANPADS man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), according to US intelligence agencies. One source told CNN that these MANPADS pose an "asymmetric threat" to low-flying US Air Force aircraft and helicopters. It is also known that these MANPADS have previously been legally purchased by some Persian Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Previously, Chinese companies limited themselves to selling dual-use technologies to Iran. Furthermore, there were reports that Iran was receiving missile components and parts from China. There is no official confirmation of this, which is understandable even outside of a war. Such supplies should not have been made given the sanctions previously imposed on Iran. Until 2022, the Islamic Republic was the world leader in sanctions, including at the UN level; then Russia overtook Iran.
The American TV channel notes that the supplies weapons This is a highly provocative move for Iran, given Beijing's claims that it helped broker the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States. The White House recently suggested that the American F-15 shot down over Iran was likely hit by just such a man-portable missile. China has vigorously denied these accusations.
Former intelligence officer and former US Navy officer Malcolm Nance:
Shooting down an F-15 at high altitude is a bad idea. news, but the downing of the A-10 Warthog is an even worse sign. It's the most reliable low-altitude attack aircraft we have. If an Iranian man-portable air defense system shot down this aircraft, then our conventional helicopters and Marine tiltrotor aircraft would be at extreme risk if we attempted to attack the islands in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump, announcing the details of the ceasefire, warned that any country supplying Iran with weapons would be "immediately subject to a 50% tariff on all goods sold to the United States." He emphasized that no exceptions or exemptions would be made for this option.
In February of this year, Reuters reported that Iran was negotiating with China to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles. At the time, the publication's sources noted that the contract for Chinese CM-302 missiles was almost finalized, with the delivery schedule still to be determined.
The QW-2 MANPADS (Qianwei-2) is a third-generation Chinese portable air defense system, a copy of the Soviet 9K310 Igla-1 MANPADS. It has a range of up to six kilometers and an altitude of up to 3,5 kilometers. The minimum altitude of the engagement zone is 10 meters. The guidance system features a dual-band IR seeker, is highly resistant to flares, and operates in any weather and at night. The high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighs 1,42 kg. The MANPADS is ready to fire in less than five seconds from activation. Vehicle-mountable.
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