As part of a recent press conference, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, officially denied that her country is engaged in negotiations to carry out the sale of CM-302 anti-ship missiles to the Armed Forces of Iran. When it was originally reported by Reuters, shortly before the U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury against the theocratic regime in Tehran, the news had raised major alarms regarding the threat these systems would pose to Washington’s naval presence in the region, particularly to the aircraft carriers that lead the Carrier Strike Groups deployed there.
Expanding on the statements made by the Chinese spokesperson, it should be noted that, in her view, the report was completely false, while Beijing’s position remains that of a “responsible country” that abides by international obligations and does not contribute to conflict through such actions. She also added that the Chinese government “opposes malicious associations” and the “exaggeration of reality caused by propaganda,” noting that its main hope is that the parties can find ways to ease tensions.
It is worth recalling at this point that the original report cited as many as six sources to support its claims regarding the existence of the negotiations concerning the CM-302 anti-ship missiles, including several Iranian officials familiar with the matter who, however, were unable to provide details on how many units would be acquired or under what delivery schedule they would be transferred. Moreover, they had even indicated that a delegation led by Deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei had visited China to advance the negotiations, which were said to have begun around two years ago.
It is also important to consider that the alleged negotiations had reportedly accelerated particularly after the war fought in June between Iran and Israel, which exposed Tehran’s limited capabilities to neutralize the deployment of ships in the waters surrounding it. It remains unclear, however, whether the outbreak of the regional conflict following Operation Epic Fury had such an impact that these negotiations must now be considered suspended or directly abandoned altogether—if they actually took place at any point.
Finally, it should be recalled that Beijing and Tehran were not only allegedly negotiating the transfer of CM-302 anti-ship missiles, but also HQ-9 air defense systems to strengthen response capabilities against potential attacks; capabilities that had been significantly diminished following the “Midnight Hammer” and “Rising Lion” operations carried out by Israeli and U.S. units. Similarly, the theocratic regime was also seeking to move forward with the acquisition of new Russian-made S-400 systems in “significant quantities,” reflecting its major efforts to deepen ties with Washington’s main geopolitical rivals even months before the new conflict.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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