China rejects accusations of supplying weapons to Iran

China has rejected recent US Intelligence reports suggesting it plans to supply weapons to Iran, with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying in a press conference on Monday that the allegations were “baseless smears”, reaffirming China's policy of adhering to "strict controls in accordance with its own export control laws and regulations and its international obligations". A Bloomberg reporter asked about reports that "China is planning to provide weapons to Iran" and "China has already provided Iran with dual-use technologies and related components," which prompted spokesperson Guo's response. The Chinese statement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over reports, including from US intelligence assessments, that China may be preparing to deliver military systems to Iran. Read More: Iran accuses US of derailing Islamabad talks after near agreement According to US intelligence sources cited by CNN and Reuters, China was reportedly preparing to send air-defence weapons, including shoulder‑fired anti‑aircraft missile systems (MANPADs), to Iran in the coming weeks and may attempt to route them through third countries to mask their origin, CNN said, citing unnamed sources. The reports did not name specific military systems beyond the general category of air-defence systems. In response to those reports, US President Donald Trump warned that China “can have big problems” if it goes ahead with such deliveries, though he did not release evidence or provide specific timelines related to the intelligence assessments. CNBC reports that despite China being one of Iran’s most vocal sources of support, there are no official accounts of Beijing providing Tehran with military or financial backing since the US-Israeli strikes started hostilities on February 28. Trump’s remarks come as the administration escalates economic leverage tied to the conflict. Also Read: UK will not back blockade of Strait of Hormuz, Starmer says According to CNBC, Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs on Chinese imports if Beijing provides military assistance to Iran, a move he described as a “staggering” penalty if such support is confirmed. The threat underscores US efforts to deter third‑party involvement in the Iran conflict by tying trade actions to perceived military support. So far, neither the US State Department nor Chinese officials have publicly released detailed evidence of the alleged arms shipment plans, and Beijing has refused to acknowledge any intention to provide weapons, calling the intelligence reports politically motivated. Meanwhile, Trump has said he and his advisers were considering resuming limited military strikes on Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The US military said it will begin a ​blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, jeopardising ‌a fragile two-week ceasefire. The Islamabad Talks 2026, which ran from Saturday into early Sunday, were the first direct US-Iranian meeting in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Read More: What does a US naval blockade of Iran mean for oil flows? The negotiations came days after a ceasefire began on Tuesday, aimed at ending six weeks of fighting that has killed thousands of people across the Gulf, throttled vital supplies of energy and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict. The US Central Command said that the US blockade, starting ​at 10am ET on Monday (7pm PKT), would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf ​and Gulf of Oman." The unified command of the Iranian armed forces said the ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are “either for everyone or for no one”, state broadcaster IRIB reported, according to Al Jazeera. “The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran consider defending the legal rights of our country a natural and legal duty, and accordingly, exercising the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the territorial waters of our country is the natural right of the Iranian nation,” IRIB cited Iran’s forces as stating. Al Jazeera reported that the forces' statement read “Enemy-affiliated vessels” will have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while other vessels will be allowed passage, subject to regulations by Tehran.