Iran nearing deal with China for supersonic missiles amid US tensions: report

Iran is nearing a deal with China to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles; This is a move that could significantly increase risks in the Middle East by concentrating US aircraft carrier strike groups within striking distance of the Islamic Republic.

Reuters reported Tehran is close to finalizing a deal for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, it said on Tuesday, citing six people with knowledge of the negotiations.

Supersonic weapons, which can travel about 180 miles and evade ship defenses by flying low, would increase Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval forces operating in the region.

Sources said the deal is nearing completion, although no delivery date has been agreed upon. It’s unclear how many missiles are involved, how much Iran has agreed to pay, or whether China will ultimately act given rising regional tensions.

Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year, which strained Tehran’s military infrastructure and increased regional tensions.

The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump has warned Tehran of the consequences it will face if it does not curb its nuclear program and the Pentagon has deployed multiple aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. This buildup marks one of the largest US naval deployments to the region in recent years.

Trump said on February 19 that he gave Iran 10 days to reach an agreement on its nuclear program, otherwise it would face a possible military action.

WITKOFF WARNED THAT IRAN WAS ‘ONE WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ WHILE WELCOME TO TRUMP’S ACTION

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln docked at Souda Bay on the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete on February 24, 2026, following US President Donald Trump’s instructions to increase American naval presence in the region. (Costas Metaxakis/AFP via Getty Images)

A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president is adamant that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or enrich uranium.

“The president wants to see a deal negotiated, but he’s clear that ‘we’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to have to do something very difficult like last time,'” the official said when asked for comment on the report that an Iran-China deal is imminent.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to directly threaten US warships last week.

Khamenei wrote in X on February 17: “More dangerous than this warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”

Military analysts say the transfer of China’s supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.

“Iran having the supersonic capability to attack ships in the region would be a complete game changer,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. he said. “These missiles are very difficult to capture.”

WHILE US MILITARY LOADING CONTINUES, IRAN ANNOUNCED THE TEST OF ITS NEW MARINE AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN THE STRAIT OF HORmuz

The reported deal comes after President Donald Trump (left) warned Tehran of the consequences if it does not halt its nuclear program. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured on the right. (Chip Somodevilla; Iranian Leader Press Office/Anatolia)

U.S. forces still maintain layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot missile batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighter jets, Fox News Digital reported.

Last year, Navy destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles with SM-3 interceptors, while Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drones approaching U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.

Iran has also relied on fast boats, ballistic missiles and drones in past clashes with US forces.

The White House did not directly address the missile talks reported by Reuters. China’s foreign ministry told the press it was unaware of the talks.

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The potential transfer would be one of the most advanced Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran in decades and, if finalized, could test U.S. sanctions authorities.

As U.S. forces expanded into the region, defense officials emphasized that the build-up was designed to deter Iranian aggression but warned that they would be ready for war if diplomacy failed.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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