According to a report by the UK-based news agency Reuters, based on six informed sources about the talks, Iran is very close to reaching an agreement with China on the purchase of anti-ship cruise missiles. It was noted that this development comes at a time when U.S. threats of attack against Iran are increasing and it has deployed a major naval force to an area near the Iranian coast. It was reported that the sales negotiations, which began at least two years ago, gained significant momentum after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June of last year. Last summer, the talks entered their final stages, and senior Iranian military and government officials, including Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Masoud Orai, traveled to China. According to information provided by sources, the deal for the Chinese-made CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles is nearing completion, but a delivery date has not yet been agreed upon.
“Iran’s strike power will increase significantly”
It was stated that the supersonic missiles have a range of approximately 290 kilometers and are designed to fly low and fast to evade ship-based defense systems. It was noted that if Iran acquires the CM-302 anti-ship missiles, it will significantly increase its strike power and pose a threat to U.S. naval forces in the region. Former Israeli intelligence officer Danny Citrinowicz, whose views were included in the report, said, “Iran having a supersonic capability to attack ships in the region completely changes the rules of the game. It is very difficult to intercept these missiles.” An Iranian Foreign Ministry official also told Reuters, “Iran has military and security agreements with its allies, and now is an appropriate time to benefit from these agreements.”
The missiles in question will be among the most advanced military equipment China will transfer to Iran.
