China arms support to Iran

In late July, China publicly called for a cease‑fire in the Iran war, cut its crude imports by about 40 % and tapped strategic reserves, yet U.S. intelligence reported that Beijing was quietly providing Iran with portable air‑defence missile systems (QW‑12, FN‑16) and negotiating sales of supersonic anti‑ship missiles, along with electronic components and other hardware for its rocket and drone programmes.

A few days later, China escalated the effort, establishing a large air bridge that used Y‑20 transport aircraft, rail links and Caspian‑Sea routes to move substantial quantities of weapons and supplies to Tehran, describing the deliveries as legitimate military agreements. At the same time, the United States began pulling Patriot missile‑defence systems from bases in Iraqi Kurdistan and other Gulf locations, consolidating its remaining forces as it faced interceptor shortages.

The snapshots together show a shift from limited, covert missile transfers to a broader, logistically‑intensive arms‑supply operation by China, coinciding with a U.S. drawdown of regional missile‑defence assets.