According to a report by the Times of Israel on Tuesday 24 February, 2026, Iran is said to be on the verge of striking a deal with China for a batch of advanced anti-ship cruise missiles, according to six individuals familiar with the discussions. The talks come at a tense moment: the United States has been reinforcing its naval presence near Iran’s coastline amid speculation about possible military action.
The weapon at the center of the negotiations is the Chinese-made CM-302, a supersonic missile capable of traveling roughly 290 kilometers, or about 180 miles. Designed to skim low over the water at high speed, it is built to slip past ship defenses before crews have much time to react. Two weapons specialists noted that if deployed, the system would markedly boost Iran’s ability to threaten naval assets operating in nearby waters, including those of the US.
Although discussions between Tehran and Beijing began at least two years ago, they picked up pace after the brief but intense 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June, the sources said. Three of the six people cited were Iranian officials briefed on the matter, while the others were security officials tracking the talks. By last summer, negotiations had entered what they described as a final phase.
Around that time, senior Iranian figures traveled to China. Among them was Deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei, whose visit has not previously been reported, according to two of the security officials. What remains unclear, however, is the scale of the potential purchase – how many missiles Iran might acquire, the price tag attached, or whether Beijing will ultimately finalize the arrangement given the rising regional strain.
“It’s a complete gamechanger if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and now senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies think tank. He added that such weapons are notoriously hard to shoot down.
An official from Iran’s foreign ministry indicated that Tehran maintains defense agreements with friendly nations and suggested that the current climate makes it an opportune moment to activate those arrangements.
On their part, China’s representatives at the United Nations referred questions back to Beijing’s foreign ministry. Neither China’s foreign nor defense ministries responded to requests for comment…..See More
Leave a Reply