Tel Aviv: China is playing a growing role in the Iranian long-range ballistic missile programme. The supply of planetary mixers is in focus now, with the US and Israel following closely. Iran seeks planetary mixers in China to restore ballistic missile production following Israeli raids on critical sites. Planetary mixers are crucial for combining solid rocket fuel used in missiles, not for uranium enrichment in nuclear weapons, though they do contribute to Iran’s larger missile capabilities, which might carry nuclear warheads.
Iran is rebuilding locations such as Parchin and Shahroud, which were hit in June 2025 and earlier strikes, but it lacks enough planetary mixers for large-scale solid-fuel missile production. Experts point out that Iran has historically received rocket fuel components and related equipment from China, and recent attempts to buy mixers could come from the same suppliers.
A shipment of planetary mixers from China to Iran was expected in recent weeks, but it did not arrive, according to Western intelligence, potentially due to a US Special Forces interception of a vessel carrying Chinese-made missile components. Earlier, Iran ordered ammonium perchlorate—a solid-fuel ingredient—from Chinese-linked businesses, enough for hundreds of missiles, despite ongoing nuclear discussions.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
