Since the military actions taken by the United States and Israel against Iran, at least five Iranian ships have been transporting chemicals used to manufacture missile propellants from the port of Zhuhai in China to Iran or its nearby waters. An American expert on Iran issues claims that Iran is making efforts to replenish rocket and missile propellants to address inventory shortages.
Shipping data analysis shows that since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, at least five sanctioned ships flying the Iranian flag have delivered goods from China to Iranian ports. These ships belong to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), a state-owned Iranian company sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The U.S. government has referred to IRISL as the “preferred shipping company for Iran’s nuclear weapons proliferation and procurement agents.”
Multiple media outlets reported in early March that two IRISL ships, the “Shabdis” and “Barzin,” had docked at Gao Lan Port in Zhuhai, a major liquid chemical loading port in southern China. It is believed that these ships were carrying sodium perchlorate, a key precursor for the solid rocket propellants required for Iran’s missile program.
After arriving in Iran on March 22, the “Shabdis” and “Barzin” were followed by three other ships, the “Hamouna,” “Rayen,” and “Zardis.” The “Zardis” was found near Iranian territorial waters in early April, awaiting permission to dock.
Based on the estimated capacities of the five tracked ships, analysts believe that the chemicals carried could produce approximately 785 missiles. In terms of operational capability, this could sustain a launch rate of 10 to 30 missiles per day for about a month.
The UK’s Telegraph interviewed Iran expert Miad Maleki regarding this matter. Maleki stated, “This undoubtedly shows that Iran is striving to replenish rocket and missile propellants to address inventory shortages.” Maleki added that Iran urgently needs these chemicals in wartime conflicts.
Maleki is currently a senior researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, specializing in Iran’s political and economic issues, sanctions policies, terrorist financing, and financial crimes. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), serving as the Iran and Middle East sanctions coordinator, designing and spearheading economic sanctions against Iran and combating terrorist organization funding. Maleki was born in Iran and immigrated to the United States with his family around the age of 18.