Chinese companies plotting covert arms shipments to Iran, according to US intelligence - report

China has provided substantial backing to Tehran amid the conflict, sharing data on American troops and delivering dual-use components for drone and missile production.

By Goldie Katz

MAY 14, 2026 02:53

According to a New York Times report citing US officials on Wednesday, Chinese firms have been scheming to execute undercover arms sales to Iran by routing weapons through third-party nations to conceal their origins.

US intelligence has detected communications between these Chinese companies and Iranian authorities concerning potential arms transactions, the report states.

Details remain murky on whether any weapons have been delivered or how many deals received approval from Chinese authorities; US officials familiar with the intelligence differ on these points, per the New York Times.

Unnamed US sources indicated that at least one intermediary nation in Africa was slated for masking the weapons shipments' source.

The report notes that Iran has refrained from deploying any Chinese-supplied weapons against Israel or US targets since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury against Tehran's regime.

While US officials doubt the Chinese government has officially greenlit the provision of complete weapons systems to Iran, they consider it improbable that Beijing remained oblivious to the corporate-level discussions.

Throughout the war, China has offered Iran key assistance, including regional intelligence on US military positions and dual-use materials essential for manufacturing drones and missiles.

CNN reported on April 10, based on US intelligence, that Beijing was gearing up to provide Iran with man-portable air-defense systems, known as MANPADS - portable anti-aircraft missiles.

Two sources informed CNN then of early indicators that China aimed to disguise arms origins by diverting shipments via other countries.

US Officials and Trump Press Beijing to Block Weapons Transfers to Iran

Per the New York Times, US officials are ramping up calls for intensified pressure on Beijing to curb its backing of Iran, deeming Chinese arms supply efforts intolerable and urging outright prohibition of such sales.

This New York Times account surfaced as US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for the first US presidential trip to China in nearly a decade, set to confer with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.

Trump has made prior efforts to deter Xi from pursuing these arms transfers.

Following the exposure of China's MANPADS shipment intentions, Trump revealed to Fox Business Network that he sent a personal letter to Xi requesting a halt.

"I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying, essentially, he's not doing that," Trump recounted.

Shoshana Baker and Reuters contributed to this report.