Chinese suppliers dispatched roughly 1,300 consignments of dual-use components to Iran’s defence ministry in the first half of 2026, helping keep the country’s weapons programmes running, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to Iranian customs records reviewed by the newspaper, the consignments included parts that can be put to use in drones and other military systems.
Over $6 Million Worth of Drone Parts
One consignment reached Iran on June 17, the day Washington and Tehran agreed to a 60-day truce, the report said. Two days later, more than a dozen further shipments arrived, carrying drone-usable parts valued at over $6 million.
The findings surface while Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. Beijing’s support for Iran is expected to figure among the issues around the meeting, along with trade, artificial intelligence safety and Taiwan.
The Journal also reported that Trump had told his aides that keeping ties with Xi intact was a priority.
Data supplied by ImportGenius, spanning January 2025 to June 2026, lists thousands of shipments to Iranian firms and the defence ministry. These included GPS devices, motors and aircraft engine parts.
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Several of the shipments invoked Article 119, a provision that exempts defence imports from tariffs.
Iran Expanded Air Links With China
China also sent about 300 tonnes of chemical compounds to Iran’s defence ministry just days before the war started on February 28, according to the report. Trade between the two nations dropped sharply in the early phase of the conflict. Iran subsequently widened its air connections with China, however, as a US naval blockade in April further squeezed supplies.
Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions, raised its flights to Tehran from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from four a week in early March to around 27 a week by late April, the Journal said, citing FlightRadar24 data.