US president Donald Trump hosted a grand welcome for Chinese president Xi Jinping but in the background of this fanfare, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal has shown how China has been supporting Iran militarily in its war against the US.
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China → host → US
When the US and Iran agreed to a temporary truce this summer, China was quick to highlight its diplomatic role.
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China → agree → role
Beijing said its foreign ministry had made dozens of calls to help ease tensions, while Xi Jinping had personally offered suggestions aimed at ending the conflict.
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Jinping → say → conflict
But on the very day the truce was signed, a Chinese aircraft landed in Tehran carrying electronics for Iran’s ministry of defense.
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aircraft → sign → defense
According to Iranian customs records analysed by WSJ, some of the components could be used in drone systems and missile guidance equipment.
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some → accord → systems
This shipment was also not an isolated incident, as WSJ found records of around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components from China to Iran’s defence ministry through the end of June.
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WSJ → find → June
Two days after the truce-day delivery, more than a dozen additional shipments arrived carrying parts worth over $6 million that could be used in drones.
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that → arrive → drones
With Xi currently in Washington for talks with Trump, China's relationship with Iran has emerged as an uncomfortable issue sitting beneath the official summit agenda of trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan.
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relationship → emerge → trade
The supply line to Iran
WSJ’s investigation, based on Iranian customs records, US officials and people familiar with the transactions, describes a growing air bridge between China and Iran.
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line → base → China
Records covering January 2025 through June 2026 show thousands of shipments to Iran's defence ministry and Iranian companies.
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Records → cover → ministry
They included GPS tracking equipment, electric motors and aircraft-engine components.
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They → include → equipment
Many shipments carried references to Article 119 of Iranian customs regulations, which provides tariff exemptions for defence imports.
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which → carry → imports
The flow intensified after the US Navy restricted Iranian maritime trade.
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Navy → intensify → trade
Iranian airline Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions, increased flights from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Tehran from four a week in early March to about 27 a week by late April, according to FlightRadar24 data.
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which → increase → data
By the first week of September, Mahan Air had flown 39 times from China to Iran, roughly twice its prewar level.
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Air → fly → level
Many of those flights appeared to be focused on cargo rather than passengers, WSJ reported.
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WSJ → appear → passengers
Researchers tracking Iranian trade told WSJ that some of the Chinese suppliers involved are little-known companies working with Iranian importers.
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some → track → importers
Kate Koren, deputy director of the economics programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told WSJ that some of the components being traded are known to be used in Iran's Shahed drones.
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some → tell → drones
A forthcoming CSIS report, she said, identified Chinese companies publicly advertising sensitive electronics this year.
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she → say → electronics
The report also stated that Chinese companies have supplied Iran with chemical materials including sodium perchlorate, which can be used to make propellant for ballistic missiles.
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which → state → missiles
US authorities have also sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong-based companies over alleged efforts to help Iran acquire weapons and military equipment.
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Iran → sanction → weapons
In one case, US officials said a procurement network tried to obtain Chinese shoulder-fired missile systems for Iran and route them through Belarus to conceal the Iranian end-user.
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network → say → user
The attempted transaction was unsuccessful, according to those officials.
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transaction → attempt → officials
China has become Iran's largest oil customer, providing Tehran with a major source of revenue despite US sanctions.
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China → become → sanctions
Chinese front companies and financial networks have helped facilitate Iranian oil transactions and move money through China's financial system.
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companies → help → system
Iran and China deepened their relationship after the Trump administration's 2018 "maximum pressure" campaign.
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Iran → deepen → campaign
The two countries signed a 25-year strategic cooperation pact in 2021, while China became the dominant buyer of Iranian crude.
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China → sign → crude
US lawmakers have said China buys more than 80% of Iran's crude exports.
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China → say → exports
More recently, a US Senate foreign relations committee statement citing Treasury figures put the share at about 90%.
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statement → cite → %
Washington has responded with hundreds of sanctions against Iranian and Chinese entities since the war began, including companies accused of helping Tehran obtain weapons, components or revenue.
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Tehran → respond → weapons
Yet the Trump administration has so far been cautious about directly confronting Beijing, especially after the earlier tariff confrontation exposed China’s leverage.
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confrontation → confront → leverage
People familiar with discussions inside the administration told WSj that Trump had made maintaining good relations with Xi a priority ahead of the summit.
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maintaining → tell → summit
Some senior officials have consequently played down the significance of Chinese assistance to Iran.
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officials → play → Iran
That approach has created disagreement within Washington, with defence secretary Pete Hegseth blaming China for enabling Iran, a claim Trump rejected stating, “I trust them.”
The satellite trail
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I → create → trail
According to US officials cited by WSJ, Iran used satellite imagery obtained from Chinese entities before and after a July 17 strike that killed three US troops.
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that → accord → troops
The Trump administration had already sanctioned three Chinese satellite-imagery companies in May, saying the companies had provided information that could help Iran target US forces.
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Iran → sanction → forces
That has intensified pressure within Washington to confront Beijing.
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That → intensify → Beijing
In late August, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched "Operation Economic Outcast", aimed at cutting the economic networks sustaining Iran.
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Trump → launch → Iran
The US subsequently sanctioned a China-owned oil tanker and Chinese companies and individuals accused of helping Iran obtain critical components.
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Iran → sanction → components
But the administration did not impose major new sanctions directly on Chinese financial institutions.
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administration → impose → institutions
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
