Iran is about to get missiles that experts say are ‘very difficult to intercept’, and the US navy is already sitting right in their range

Iran is reportedly close to finalizing a deal with China to buy advanced anti-ship cruise missiles. The deal involves Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, which are supersonic, fly low and fast, and have a range of about 290 kilometers. Experts say these features make them very hard to intercept using ship-based defense systems.

According to Reuters, negotiations have been going on for at least two years, but picked up pace after the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June. Senior Iranian officials, including Deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei, traveled to China last summer as talks moved into their final stages. While no firm delivery date has been set, the deal is said to be close to completion.

Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher, described the potential acquisition as a “complete gamechanger.” He warned that “these missiles are very difficult to intercept,” adding that if Iran gains supersonic capability to attack ships in the area, it would significantly raise the threat level for naval forces in the region.

This missile deal comes at a critical time, with two US carrier strike groups already moving toward the region

The USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, along with their strike groups, are currently heading toward the region. Together, these ships carry over 5,000 personnel and 150 aircraft. Trump has also issued direct warnings to Iran, and you can read more about Trump’s chilling warning and the countdown underway in his standoff with the country. The US is also reportedly preparing for the possibility of weeks-long military operations against Iran.

This deal would represent some of the most advanced military hardware China has ever transferred to Iran. It would also violate a United Nations weapons embargo that was first imposed in 2006. That embargo was suspended in 2015 as part of a nuclear deal but was reimposed last September.

The deal reflects growing military ties between China and Iran. China, Iran, and Russia already conduct annual joint naval exercises. The US Treasury Department sanctioned several Chinese entities last year for supplying chemical precursors to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its ballistic missile program, though China rejected those allegations.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Beijing last September, he stated that “China supports Iran in safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity.”

One official briefed on the missile negotiations described Iran as having become a “battlefield” between the US on one side and Russia and China on the other. For more on how the US is responding, here is a closer look at Trump’s Iran deal timeline and second carrier strike group moving into position.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was not aware of any talks about a missile sale, and the White House did not directly address the negotiations when asked. However, Citrinowicz noted that China does not want to see a pro-Western government in Iran, as that would threaten its interests, and that China is hoping the current regime stays in power.