Reports link China to new Iranian missiles

A Reuters report published on February 24 said Iran was nearing a deal to buy Chinese CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles, linking Beijing to a possible expansion of Tehran’s naval strike options. (usnews.com) Reuters said six people familiar with the negotiations described the CM-302 deal as near completion, though no delivery date had been agreed. The report said the talks had been underway for at least two years and accelerated after the Israel-Iran conflict in 2025. (usnews.com) The reported missile is built by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and is the export version of the YJ-12. Reuters and other outlets describing the talks said the CM-302 has a range of about 290 kilometers and is designed to fly low and fast against ships. (iranintl.com) An anti-ship missile is built to hit warships or commercial vessels at sea, and the Strait of Hormuz is the waterway most often tied to that threat. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said about 20 million barrels a day moved through Hormuz in 2024, equal to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption. (eia.gov) That geography put the Reuters report into a larger military and economic picture. The International Energy Agency said around 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil trade moved through Hormuz in 2025, with 80 percent of that oil headed to Asia. (iea.org) The timing also mattered because the reported talks came after the United Nations sanctions “snapback” on Iran in late September 2025. The United States State Department said the reimposed measures restored earlier United Nations restrictions, including limits tied to arms activity. (state.gov) The story widened in April after U.S. officials publicly accused China of taking a more active role in supporting Iran’s war effort. The New York Times reported on April 11 that American officials said China might have shipped missiles to Iran and was allowing some companies to sell Tehran supplies usable in military production. (nytimes.com) Washington then added economic pressure. Reuters reported on April 9 that President Donald Trump said the United States would impose immediate 50 percent tariffs on imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons, a warning aimed at China and Russia. (usnews.com) Beijing has rejected the accusation that it is arming Iran. The New York Times reported on April 15 that China denied U.S. intelligence claims that it might have shipped arms to Iran, while saying Chinese firms had provided dual-use parts in recent years. (nytimes.com) What is established in public reporting is narrower than some social-media versions of the story: Reuters reported negotiations for CM-302 missiles in February, U.S. officials raised broader concerns in April, and China denied shipping arms. The missing pieces are delivery, quantity, and whether any reported deal was completed before the latest fighting. (usnews.com) (nytimes.com 1) (nytimes.com 2)