Ships carrying key missile propellant ingredient to sail from China to Iran — report

22 January 2025, 5:21 pm

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Two Iranian cargo ships are set to transport a key ingredient for missile propellant from China to Iran in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reports, citing intelligence from Western security officials.

The cargo on board the Golbon and the Jairan, some 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate, could be used to manufacture fuel for hundreds of mid-range missiles, the report notes.

The officials who spoke to the paper did not know whether Chinese authorities were aware of the shipments.

Officials in Beijing’s embassy in Washington tell FT that China is “not familiar” with the matter, while asserting that it is committed to “maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and Gulf region.”