Chinese suppliers sent around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components to Iran’s defence ministry in the first half of 2026, according to an investigation based on Iranian customs records, raising fresh questions over Beijing’s support for Tehran as US President Donald Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
The shipments included electronics, GPS devices, electric motors and aircraft-engine components with potential applications in drones and missile systems, the investigation by The Wall Street Journal found. The findings have pushed China’s relationship with Iran into focus during Xi’s Washington visit, where trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan are among the major issues confronting the two leaders.
Shipments continued during conflict
According to the report, customs records covering January 2025 through June 2026 showed thousands of shipments from China to Iranian companies and the defence ministry. Many of the consignments reportedly invoked an exemption under Iranian customs regulations for defence-related imports, while researchers identified some Chinese components as having applications in Iran’s Shahed drones and other military systems.
One of the most striking consignments arrived on June 17, the day Washington and Tehran agreed to a 60-day truce. A plane arriving from China carried electronics destined for Iran’s defence ministry that could have applications in drones and missile-guidance systems, while more than a dozen additional shipments arrived two days later carrying over $6 million worth of parts that could be used in drones.
Chinese chemical supplies have also come under scrutiny for their possible role in Iran’s missile programme. The report said Chinese entities had been involved in supplies of materials including sodium perchlorate, which can be used in the production of solid missile propellant, though not every shipment of dual-use material necessarily establishes that it was ultimately used for a military purpose.
US authorities have separately investigated procurement networks allegedly seeking Chinese military equipment for Tehran. In one unsuccessful effort cited in the investigation, a network allegedly attempted to obtain Chinese shoulder-fired missile systems and route them through Belarus to obscure the Iranian end-user.
Air link expands
Iran’s access to Chinese supplies increasingly shifted towards air transport after restrictions disrupted maritime trade. Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier under US sanctions, increased flights from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Tehran from around four a week in early March to about 27 a week by late April, according to flight-tracking data cited in the investigation.
The air connection remained active in September, with Mahan operating 39 China-Iran flights during the first week of the month, around twice its pre-war level. Several of the flights were unavailable for normal passenger bookings, adding to scrutiny over the role of the air route in moving goods between the two countries.
Oil remains critical link
China has also remained Iran’s most important oil customer despite US sanctions, providing Tehran with a crucial source of revenue. American lawmakers have estimated that China accounts for more than 80 per cent of Iranian crude exports, while the two countries’ economic relationship has deepened since they signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in 2021.
Washington has imposed sanctions on numerous Iranian and Chinese entities accused of facilitating Tehran’s oil trade or procurement networks. The Trump administration has, however, sought to balance pressure over Iran with its broader effort to maintain stable relations with Beijing, making China’s ties with Tehran an increasingly complicated element of the US-China relationship.
Trump has previously said Xi assured him that China would not provide weapons to Iran, and the US President publicly indicated that he trusted the Chinese leader’s assurance. Other American officials and lawmakers have taken a more critical position, pointing to dual-use shipments, oil purchases and alleged sanctions-evasion networks as evidence of Beijing’s continuing role in sustaining Tehran.
Beijing rejects accusations
China has denied improperly supporting Iran’s military efforts and has maintained that it exercises strict controls over exports of dual-use goods. Beijing has also opposed unilateral American sanctions and portrayed itself as supporting diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, including through contacts with Iran and other governments in the region.
The distinction between direct arms transfers and exports of dual-use components remains central to the dispute. While Chinese entities have been linked to goods capable of supporting Iran’s defence industry, the available records do not establish that every Chinese shipment was made at Beijing’s direction or that every dual-use component was ultimately deployed in a weapons system.
The issue nevertheless adds another contentious subject to Trump and Xi’s discussions in Washington. With the United States seeking greater Chinese pressure on Tehran while simultaneously attempting to stabilise relations with Beijing, Iran has emerged as a significant test of how the two powers manage their competing strategic interests.