China Supplies Arms to Iran as US Pulls Patriot Systems from Middle East

China has established a large air bridge to Tehran, using Y‑20 transport aircraft to deliver substantial quantities of weapons and supplies to Iranian defenses. The shipments also make use of rail routes and the Caspian Sea, with Beijing saying the deliveries honor legitimate military agreements.

At the same time, the United States is reorganising its presence in the region. American C‑17 transport planes have been used to remove Patriot missile‑defence systems from bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the main NATO base in Iraq is set to be emptied following a troop‑withdrawal agreement. The Pentagon is also scaling back assets at smaller outposts in the Persian Gulf, including in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, concentrating remaining forces at critical points. The drawdown is linked to a shortage of Patriot interceptors after recent conflicts, a shortfall that also affects other crises such as Ukraine’s request for missile‑defence support.