‘Gamechanger’? China and Iran Reach a Deal That Could Be Disturbing News for US

Iran is nearing an agreement to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles from China, coinciding with the deployment of U.S. naval forces off its coast, Reuters reported.

There is no delivery date set for the Chinese CM-302 missiles to Iran, but the deal is reportedly near. The supersonic missiles have a range of 290 kilometers, or 180 miles. 

Six people confirmed to Reuters that negotiations between China and Iran started at least two years ago, but accelerated during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in 2025.

Top Iranian officials, including Massoud Oraei, Iran’s deputy defense minister, traveled to China last summer as part of the negotiation.

It has not been determined how many missiles were being sold or for how much. 

“Iran has military and security agreements with its allies and now is an appropriate time to make use of these agreements,” an Iranian foreign ministry official told Reuters.

The weapons transfer would violate a United Nations weapons embargo imposed in 2006 and temporarily lifted in 2015 as part of a nuclear deal with the U.S. and allies. The U.N. reimposed the embargo last September.

“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, according to Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, along with the USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts, are also heading to the region near Iran and can carry more than 5,000 personnel and 150 aircraft.

China, Iran, and Russia, seen as hostile to U.S. interests, hold annual joint naval exercises. Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned several Chinese entities for supplying chemical precursors to Iran’s military. 

Reuters contributed to this report.