Iran is close to finalizing a deal with China for CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles as the U.S. weighs potential strikes against the Islamic Republic.
According to Reuters, details on the quantity and cost remain unclear, and it is also uncertain whether China will proceed with the sale amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.
The potential missile deal comes as the U.S. positions a striking force near Iran, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, following President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings of military action, first over Iran’s deadly nationwide protests, and later over its refusal to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S.
The USS Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships are also headed to the region, carrying more than 5,000 personnel and 150 aircraft.
Reports state that CM-302 missiles can evade defenses and strike targets up to 180 miles away. China’s state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation markets the weapon as the world’s leading anti-ship missile, capable of sinking an aircraft carrier or destroyer.
Military experts say a potential Chinese transfer of supersonic anti-ship missiles to Iran could significantly impact the U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and nearby waters.
“It’s a complete game-changer if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”
The news comes shortly after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to issue a direct warning to U.S. naval forces last week.
“More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei wrote on Feb. 17 on X.
The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) February 17, 2026
The missiles, if delivered, would rank among the most advanced military hardware China has ever transferred to Iran, violating a United Nations weapons embargo first imposed in 2006. The sanctions were suspended in 2015 as part of a nuclear deal with the US and allies but were reimposed last September.
According to Reuters, Iran is also in talks to acquire Chinese surface-to-air missile systems, MANPADS, anti-ballistic weapons, and anti-satellite systems.
