Illustrative image. (Tasnim News Agency)
United States intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN reported on April 11, citing three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments.
The report came amid a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which was brokered by Pakistan, reportedly with help from China.
Two of the sources told the news channel that there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their true origin.
The systems Beijing is preparing to transfer are man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), the sources said, which posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying U.S. warplanes throughout the course of the five-week war and could again if the ceasefire falls apart.
U.S. President Trump indicated during a press conference on April 6 that the F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iran last week was hit by a “handheld shoulder missile, [a] heat-seeking missile,” and Iran said it had used a “new” air defense system to hit the jet without providing more details.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told CNN that the country “has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions,” the spokesman added
Sources who spoke to CNN said that the Chinese could also make the argument that air defense systems are defensive rather than offensive in nature.
It’s worth noting that right after the ceasefire came into effect, Trump warned that imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50 percent tariffs with no exemptions.
The report didn’t name any specific type of MANPADS that China could ship to Iran, but one option could be the country’s latest FN-16.
The system, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, features an infrared, ultraviolet dual-spectrum seeker, with an engagement range of six kilometers, and an altitude of four kilometers.
MANPADS like the FN-16 could help Iran further limit the freedom of operation in its airspace for both the U.S. and Israel if the war resumes.
However, in order to regain full control over its airspace, Iran will need more sophisticated air defenses, ones that are capable of engaging warplanes on the medium range.
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“the report didn’t name any specific type of manpads that china could ship to iran, but one option could be the country’s latest fn-16.”
in the end it does not matter. china does not owe the muripigs any explantation.
the prc needs to thoughtfully reflect on how this current conflagration with iran could have been completely avoided had they not cut deals with the u.$. after the events of 9/11 and brought those event(s) in lower manhattan and washington to the floor of the unsc for investigation when the 9/11 commission report came to the american peoples attention -3 years later.
had they done so (after they knew who did it within the first year of it happening) i believe as do many others that have witnessed their business dealings with the u.$. since including h1-b visa(s) on tap, their silk road would have included an oil and gas pipeline being built from iran through afghanistan to china which was the premise for the u.s. mic and energy blocking that effort -none of what has happened in the me would have happened -or could have been stalled.
apologies, “explanation”