All three planes departed from China and flew westward along northern China, crossing into Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, before disappearing from radar near Iran. Despite flight plans indicating a destination of Luxembourg, the planes seemed to have never flown near European skies.
Aviation experts have remarked that the type of planes utilised are commonly used for carrying military equipment and weapons, and are used for government contract orders.“These cargos cannot but generate a lot of interest because of the expectation that China might do something to help Iran,” said Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter who specialises in China’s relations with the Middle East and North Africa, the report added.
China and Iran are strategic partners, opposing the US-led world order and favouring a multi-polar phase in global diplomacy. Iran is also a key energy supplier to China, sending two million barrels of oil daily.
“The collapse of the current regime would be a significant blow and would generate a lot of instability in the Middle East, ultimately undermining Chinese economic and energy interests. Moreover, in Iran, there are probably many who are expecting some kind of help from China,” Ghiselli added.
China has previously supplied Iran with thousands of tonnes of ballistic missile materials, despite international criticism. Still, experts believe China is approaching the situation cautiously, as direct involvement in the conflict might jeopardise any efforts China makes to improve its relations with the United States, Israel’s strongest ally.
“The presence of Chinese military hardware would make that impossible, especially as there are already some that are pushing for the US to join the war, also to contain China by attacking Iran,” Ghiselli said.
Tuvia Gering, a China and Middle East expert at Israel’s Institute of National Security Studies, stated that although ‘the likelihood remains low’ of China directly delivering defence supplies to Tehran, the potential “should not be dismissed and must be closely monitored.”
According to the Telegraph investigation last year, China attempted to deliver $1 billion (£738 million) in drones to Libya through a web of shell companies in the United Kingdom, Tunisia and Egypt in exchange for crude oil.
