Iran has begun receiving shipments of Chinese-made surface-to-air missile batteries as part of a military replenishment deal struck in the aftermath of its recent conflict with Israel, Middle East Eye reported. The systems were delivered under an oil-for-weapons agreement reached after a 12-day war that saw Israel conduct devastating airstrikes against Iranian military sites.

According to Arab officials familiar with regional intelligence, the deliveries followed a ceasefire agreement on 24 June, which ended the heaviest direct fighting between Israel and Iran in recent history.

While neither China nor Iran confirmed the deliveries publicly, one Arab official said the shipments included advanced HHQ-9B and similar air defence platforms, with Iran paying in crude oil. Nearly 90% of Iran’s oil exports now go to China, despite U.S. sanctions, often through transshipment hubs like Malaysia to disguise origin.

“This is about rebuilding Iran’s deterrent capabilities,” the official told Middle East Eye, adding that Washington had been briefed on Tehran’s rearmament push.

The development reflects a deeper military partnership between Tehran and Beijing, and follows a long history of Chinese weapons sales to Iran, including HY-2 Silkworm cruise missiles in the 1980s and earlier reports of HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile systems in 2010.

Air Defence After Israeli Strikes

During the recent war, Israel claimed to have achieved air superiority, destroying several Iranian ballistic missile launch sites and killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Despite the damage, Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israeli cities, reportedly hitting sensitive sites in Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Iran’s existing missile defences include the Russian S-300, as well as domestic systems like Khordad and Bavar-373. However, many of these platforms are believed to be ineffective against stealth aircraft such as Israel’s F-35s.

With the new Chinese batteries, Tehran hopes to fill gaps in its layered defence system and counter future Israeli airstrikes.

Regional and Strategic Repercussions

The weapons transfers are likely to complicate U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Iran militarily. China already sells similar systems to Pakistan and reportedly Egypt, suggesting a broader export strategy.

While Russia and China were seen as keeping some distance during Israel’s assault, the timing of the new deliveries suggests Beijing is now deepening its security alignment with Tehran, particularly through barter-based arms trade.

The White House has not commented on the reported shipments. However, U.S. officials are expected to raise concerns in upcoming meetings with regional allies.