Tel Aviv: The Israeli and US intelligence are following the expanding help China give Iran in order to help its massive effort to rebuild its long range ballistic missiles force.
According to the available information, the Chinese help is mostly based on the export of dual-use inputs, components, and technical support rather than overt transfer of complete missile systems.
Chinese companies have provided Iran with huge supplies of oxidisers and solid-fuel propellant precursors, particularly sodium perchlorate and ammonium perchlorate, which are essential for solid-fuel ballistic missiles.
This aid follows a pattern of delivering dual-use chemicals, guidance and propulsion components, and electronics that can be disguised as civilian but are directly fed into Iran’s missile manufacturing lines.
According to Western and regional reports from 2025, Iran has ordered “thousands of tons” of ammonium perchlorate from Chinese sources, enough to fuel hundreds of ballistic missiles and re-arm affiliated militias such as the Houthis.
European and US-linked intelligence reporting describes multiple shipments totaling around 3,000 tons of sodium perchlorate from China in 2025, used as a precursor for solid missile oxidisers, explicitly tied to Iran’s effort to replenish its arsenal after the June 2025 war.
The United States Treasury and State Department have sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong firms for selling missile propellant chemicals, carbon fiber, and related equipment to IRGC missile organisations, highlighting Iran’s “heavily reliant on China” ballistic missile programme.
These sanctions and designations identify Chinese businesses as providing “key economic and technical support” to Iran’s missile programme, including efforts to indigenise carbon-fiber manufacture for advanced missile airframes and motor casings.
According to analyses of Iran’s stance during the 2025 “12-day war” with Israel, China is a significant enabler of Iran’s military recovery, providing propellant precursors, components, and know-how that directly support the rebuilding of Iran’s depleted ballistic missile deterrence.
According to these studies, Chinese help now partially replaces limited Russian support, establishing Chinese industry as Iran’s primary behind-the-scenes defence partner for renewing long-range strike capabilities and providing missile support to proxies.
-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
