US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would be “disappointed” if China supplied weapons to Iran while repeating commitments he claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping had made to him that Beijing would not sell arms to Tehran..
His remarks came after reports claimed China was preparing to send 400 shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers to Iran under a new agreement, as Tehran strengthens its air defences during the war with the US.
Under the plan agreed by both sides, shipments will first be flown from Urumqi in western China before passing through Pakistan and reaching Iran, news agency Reuters reported citing three sources familiar with the agreement. They did not specify whether the onward transfer from Pakistan to Iran would be carried out by air or by road.
Trump on reports of China sending weapons to Iran via Pak
Trump was questioned on Wednesday about reports claiming Iran could receive up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired missiles in the coming weeks through Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}Trump was questioned on Wednesday about reports claiming Iran could receive up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired missiles in the coming weeks through Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the US president said, “That was surprising. I mean, things like that happen, but that would be surprising.”
“He told me very strongly he wouldn’t partake, but he knows I’d be quite disappointed. He’s coming here, I think, on September 24,” he added, referring to Xi’s likely visit to the US for a meeting later this year.
Notably, Trump has raised concerns before about the possibility of China supplying weapons to Iran during the war.
In April, he said Xi had written to him, assuring that Beijing was not sending arms to Tehran. While China does not directly export weapons to Iran, it does supply dual-use technology, according to Bloomberg.
The US president has also warned of imposing a 50% tariff on imports from countries that provide weapons to Tehran.
China to supply weapons to Iran through Pak?
Iran is expected to receive the first shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers within the next few weeks, as per the report.
China, however, has rejected the report. In a statement, China's foreign ministry said: "The relevant reports are completely groundless. China has consistently played a role in promoting peace and ending the conflict."
As part of the purported deal, shipments will reportedly first be flown from western China before passing through Pakistan and reaching Iran.
However, Pakistan’s military public relations wing ISPR has rejected the report. “Speculations of Pakistan being involved in supply of Air Defence weapons to Iran from China are absolutely concocted and false,” it said in a statement to Reuters.
Inside the reported agreement
The purchase, reportedly estimated to be worth $60-70 million, is believed to be one of Iran's biggest known efforts to improve its short-range air defences since the war with the US and Israel began.
The agreement reportedly includes the purchase of between 300 and 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including the Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missile systems.
The deal was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-based company that reportedly acted as an intermediary between the Iranian side and the Chinese supplier.
End of US-Pakistan ‘bonhomie’?
The concerns over the report come at a time when Pakistan has been acting as a key mediator between the United States and Iran amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Trump, who has repeatedly praised Pakistan's role in the negotiations, has also called the country's army chief, Asim Munir, his “favourite field marshal” in the past.
At a time of growing 'bonhomie' between the two nations, the reported supply of Chinese arms to Iran through Pakistan could put a dent in Islamabad's ties with Washington.
With inputs from agencies