China is preparing to supply Iran with a large shipment of man-portable air defense systems, Reuters reported. The first deliveries are expected within the next few weeks.
Sources cited by the agency said the deal covers between 300 and 400 systems, including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles. The contract was arranged through the Hong Kong-based company Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment.
According to Reuters, the weapons are to be transported in stages. They will first be flown from Urumqi in western China and then moved to Iran through Pakistan. The agreement is valued at between $60 million and $70 million.
Reuters described the deal as one of Tehran’s largest known efforts to strengthen its short-range air defense network since the military confrontation with the United States and Israel began.
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the report, calling claims of Chinese arms supplies to Iran entirely unfounded. The ministry said Beijing has consistently supported a peaceful settlement and an end to the conflict.
The United States suspended strikes on Iran on July 25. President Donald Trump warned, however, that the military operation could resume if negotiations failed to produce results. He had also previously said that Beijing and Moscow were not providing military assistance to Tehran.