Iran is expected to receive within weeks the first shipment from an order of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers as it rebuilds its defenses during the war with the United States, three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters.
The purchase, valued at between $60 million and $70 million, is among Tehran’s largest known efforts to strengthen its short-range air defenses since the war with the U.S. and Israel exposed weaknesses in its ability to protect military installations and strategic infrastructure.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing
(Photo: Iran's Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS )
The contract covers between 300 and 400 man-portable air-defense systems, known as MANPADS, including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, the sources said.
The agreement was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-based company that the sources said was acting as an intermediary between Iran and the Chinese supplier.
Iran seeks to rearm after months of war
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China’s Foreign Ministry denied the report.
“The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role in promoting peace and ending the conflict,” it said.
Asked about the reported deal at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said he was “not familiar with the relevant situation.”
Beijing-based Zhong Qing Bao Shang Group, the parent company of Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Iran is seeking to rearm after months of fighting in which the U.S. and Israel struck facilities linked to its missile, drone and air-defense programs. Tehran responded with barrages of ballistic missiles and drones.
The conflict has highlighted the difficulty of defending fixed military and strategic sites against advanced aircraft and precision-guided weapons.
Washington abruptly suspended two weeks of bombardment on Saturday, though President Donald Trump said strikes would resume if negotiations failed to end the five-month-old conflict, which has formally been under a ceasefire since April.
The delivery of hundreds of MANPADS would significantly expand Iran’s stock of short-range air-defense weapons and underscore its deepening military ties with China.
The sources cautioned that while the agreement had been signed, delivery schedules, quantities and other implementation details could still change.
Under a plan agreed by the parties, the initial deliveries would leave Urumqi in western China and transit through Pakistan before reaching Iran, the sources said. They did not clarify whether the weapons would travel by air or road.
Pakistan’s military public relations wing, ISPR, denied any involvement.
“Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false,” it said.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
China and Iran explore land delivery routes
Iran has invested heavily over the past two decades in missiles, drones and radar systems, but military experts say portable air-defense systems provide a valuable additional layer of protection.
The systems can be dispersed quickly, operated by small teams and frequently relocated, making them less vulnerable than fixed air-defense batteries.
A European security source said authorities in his country were aware of several contracts under discussion involving the possible sale of QW-series MANPADS to Iran, including QW-12, QW-18 and QW-19 systems.
A second security source in the Middle East said Iran had been seeking to purchase QW-12 and QW-18 missiles but was unaware that a deal had already been concluded.
The QW-12 and FN-16 are shoulder-fired, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile systems designed to target low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones.
Their mobility would allow Iran to deploy them rapidly around military bases, energy infrastructure and other sensitive sites.
Defense analysts consider the QW-12 less capable than newer variants such as the QW-18 and QW-19, but say it can still provide effective short-range protection against drones and low-flying targets.
Two Western intelligence sources and an Iranian official said Tehran had also explored overland routes for moving Chinese military supplies and dual-use components more discreetly and reducing the risk of disruption.
The purchase highlights Iran’s continuing reliance on a combination of domestic weapons production and foreign suppliers despite years of sanctions and restrictions on defense imports.
Reuters previously reported that Iran was close to a separate agreement with China to acquire anti-ship cruise missiles, according to people familiar with those negotiations. Reuters was unable to determine whether that deal was completed.