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Iran-China relations

This screen grab taken from video footage released on August 9, 2026, by Ansarullah Media Centre shows a missile being launched toward what the Houthi authorities said were Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots at Mokha port in western Yemen. (ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE/AFP)
Houthis building new longer-range missiles with Chinese-imported parts – report
By ToI Staff
WSJ cites arms-tracking group's assessment of Yemeni rebels' efforts to make a variant of Iran's Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles, which could have a 1,900-km range
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, China, on May 6, 2026. (Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Minister via AP)
September 24, 2026, 11:04 am
China sent Iran 1,300 shipments of drone, missile components this year – report
Customs data shows deliveries of GPS devices, motors and other dual-use electronics; US-sanctioned Mahan Air boosted China-Iran flights nearly sevenfold after war began
By ToI Staff
Yemen’s Houthi armed forces patrol the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on September 12, 2026. (Mohammed HUWAIS/AFP)
September 17, 2026, 6:21 pm
China privately pushing Iran to help rein in Houthis after Saudi appeal, sources say
Beijing seeking to prevent conflict from spreading across its vital import routes, as rebels’ tightening grip on Bab el-Mandeb upends oil trade already reeling from Hormuz blockade
By Parisa Hafezi
A man looks at a banner depicting US President Donald Trump displayed in front of the Zolfaghar and Zolghadr ballistic missiles exhibited at Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran's capital, on August 2, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Reuters)
September 12, 2026, 7:59 pm
Report: Chinese entities gave Iran satellite images before deadly strike on US base
US officials say imagery of Jordan air base was provided ahead of and after attack that killed 3 troops; Beijing rejects allegation and demands Washington provide evidence
By ToI Staff
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at a news conference, August 24, 2026, at the Treasury Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
August 24, 2026, 10:40 pm
‘Economic asphyxiation’: US Treasury chief announces new sanctions campaign against Iran
Bessent warns nations that ignore the sanctions and help Tehran will ‘share in the isolation,’ but holds off on announcing secondary sanctions against China, others
By Agencies
A billboard with a message that reads in Persian: 'We must rise up' and an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei towers over downtown traffic in Tehran, Iran, August 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
August 16, 2026, 3:08 pm
Trump wants more economic pressure on Iran. What are his options?
A look at actions the US administration may take, from measures targeting oil and Chinese banks to a land blockade on the Islamic Republic’s borders
By Andrea Shalal
Illustrative: Rebel-fighters monitor the sky holding a FN-6 man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) in the Syrian village of Teir Maalah, on the northern outskirts of Homs, on April 20, 2016. (MAHMOUD TAHA/AFP)
July 29, 2026, 4:02 pm
Iran set to receive up to 400 Chinese shoulder-fired air-defense systems within weeks
Sources report a $70 million deal to help Tehran rebuild defenses after Israeli and US strikes, with plans made to transport arms overland via Pakistan; Beijing denies report
By John Irish and Jonathan Saul
US President Donald Trump waves from the stairs of Air Force One as he boards upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, May 12, 2026, for a trip to China to meet President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
May 13, 2026, 3:27 am
Trump says US will ‘finish the job’ against Iran, ‘peacefully or otherwise’
‘I don’t think we need any help with Iran,’ US president insists as he heads to China; Islamic Republic remains defiant, claims US must accept its ‘rightful and definitive demands’
By Lazar Berman, Agencies and ToI Staff
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping participating in a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. (AP Photo/ Andrew Harnik, File)
May 10, 2026, 11:30 pm
Iran war sets cooler tone for Trump’s upcoming China trip than his first-term visit
As the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, China’s premier Xi Jinping is expected to discuss the US’s war with Iran and other issues, including trade
By Will Weissert
A map of the Gulf locating Strait of Hormuz and the ports of Jask and Kharg Island in Iran. (Laurence SAUBADU/AFP)
April 7, 2026, 8:50 am
UN expected to vote on watered-down Hormuz resolution that omits military action
After China scuttles resolution greenlighting use of force, Security Council declaws proposal to reopen strait, which now urges ‘defensive’ efforts to ensure ships’ safe passage
By Reuters
US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon arrival at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026, after traveling to Dover Air Force Base for a dignified transfer solemn event for six US soldiers killed in an Iranian strike in Kuwait. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
March 9, 2026, 11:02 pm
Trump has ‘no message’ for Iran’s new leader, has replacement in mind; war is ‘very complete, pretty much’
US president doesn’t elaborate on plans, as Israel says Mojtaba Khamenei’s ‘hands already stained with bloodshed’; Iran’s proxy forces pledge loyalty to new Iranian leader, Putin congratulates him
By Agencies, Lazar Berman and Nava Freiberg
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet each other during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, July 19, 2022. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
March 1, 2026, 4:14 pm
China, Russia, North Korea and Hamas condemn killing of Iran’s Khamenei
Putin says supreme leader’s ‘murder’ is a ‘cynical violation of all norms,’ while Pyongyang slams ‘shameless and gangster-like conduct’ of US-Israeli strikes
By Agencies
FILE: Chinese YJ-17 anti-ship hypersonic missiles are seen during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing, September 3, 2025. (GREG BAKER / AFP)
February 24, 2026, 2:41 pm
‘Complete game-changer’: Iran close to buying supersonic anti‑ship missiles from China
Deal for purchase of CM‑302 missiles, with range of 180 miles, is nearing completion, though delivery date and quantity unclear; expert says they are ‘very difficult to intercept’
By Gavin Finch, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish
US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Trump listens to a question from a reporter at the end of a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/File)
February 14, 2026, 11:23 pm
PM and Trump reportedly agree to ‘full force’ economic pressure campaign against Iran
Blocking Iranian oil exports to China among the options, US official tells Axios; Geneva to host next round of US-Iran talks, though second American official sees ‘zero chance’ of deal
By ToI Staff
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows reconstruction efforts at Iran's Parchin solid propellant plant outside of Tehran, Iran, Aug. 28, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
September 24, 2025, 2:16 pm
Satellite images show Iran has started rebuilding key missile sites hit by Israel
Experts say a main component, the large mixers needed to produce solid fuel for the weapons, is still missing; Iran believes resuming missile production key to deterring Israel
By Jon Gambrell
A handout picture released by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization on November 4, 2019, shows the atomic enrichment facilities Natanz nuclear research center, some 300 kilometers south of capital Tehran. (HO / Atomic Energy Organization of Iran / AFP)
July 21, 2025, 2:53 pm
Iran, China and Russia to meet as sanctions threat hangs over nuclear program
Foreign ministry directors general to hold talks in Iran’s capital; Tehran says currently no plans to resume talks with US, accuses European nations of breaking deal commitments
By Reuters and ToI Staff
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