China is under scrutiny after reports revealed its firms supplied chemicals to Iran that could help rebuild the country’s ballistic missile program, in defiance of United Nations sanctions.
Eko Hot News reports that U.S. lawmakers Raja Krishnamoorthi and Joe Courtney have demanded answers from the Trump administration following CNN’s disclosure that Chinese companies shipped roughly 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate — a key missile propellant ingredient — to Iran between late September and mid-October. The shipments reportedly arrived at the port of Bandar Abbas and could be used to produce up to 500 ballistic missiles.
“These deliveries are indispensable to Tehran’s efforts to rebuild its ballistic missile arsenal following its 12-day war with Israel last summer,” the lawmakers said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
The congressmen warned that China’s support for Iran’s rearmament reflects “the Chinese Communist Party’s willingness to abet authoritarian aggression from Europe to the Middle East.” They added that the shipments not only threaten regional stability but could also aid Russia and Iran-backed militias such as the Houthis.
The lawmakers said the chemical transfers violate U.N. sanctions reimposed in September that prohibit support for Iran’s missile and nuclear delivery programs. Although sodium perchlorate is not explicitly listed in U.N. bans, it is a precursor to ammonium perchlorate — a prohibited oxidizer used in missile fuel.
Krishnamoorthi and Courtney urged the Trump administration to clarify what actions it is taking against Beijing’s continued support of Tehran’s weapons development, including joint measures with U.S. allies.
The issue arises amid growing Western concerns over cooperation between China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, even as President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently agreed to an economic truce in their ongoing trade conflict.
