The Telegraph: China Sends Mysterious Planes To Iran
- 18.06.2025, 17:54
Experts have speculated what might be on board.
China sends mysterious cargo planes to Iran after Israeli strikes, writes The Telegraph.
In three days, at least three Chinese cargo planes have made flights to Iran despite official claims of a destination in Luxembourg. The incident has raised concerns over possible military aid to Tehran amid escalating conflict with Israel.
After the recent Israeli strike on Iran, China sent a series of Boeing 747 cargo planes to the Islamic Republic. According to flight monitoring data, the planes departed from Chinese cities, particularly Shanghai, flew through Central Asia and disappeared from radar near the Iranian border. The flight plans indicated that their final destination was Luxembourg, but the planes were not detected in European airspace.
Specialists are concerned about what exactly the planes were carrying. Experts note that such planes are often used to transport military equipment.
"These cargoes can't help but generate a lot of interest because of the expectation that China can do something to help Iran," said Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter.
China and Iran are strategic partners who share a common opposition to U.S. global influence. Iran, as a key energy supplier to China, particularly up to two million barrels of oil daily, remains Beijing's priority partner in the region.
"The collapse of the regime in Tehran would be a blow to China's interests in the Middle East," Ghiselli said.
However, Beijing is probably acting cautiously to avoid spoiling relations with the US, especially amid the ongoing trade war.
Cargolux, the firm that operates the flights, denies using Iranian airspace but has not provided information about the contents of the cargo. Since the manifests of such cargoes are classified, it is not yet possible to identify their contents without independent verification.
China has previously tried to supply weapons under the guise of civilian products. In particular, European intelligence intercepted attempts to transfer drone components disguised as parts for wind turbines. And last year, a media investigation exposed a billion-dollar scheme to send drones to Libya through a network of front companies.