U.S. intelligence indicates China could provide Iran with new air defense systems in the coming weeks, despite an ongoing ceasefire with Washington, CNN reported Saturday, citing sources familiar with recent assessments.
The report claimed that Iran may be taking advantage of the ceasefire to restock certain weapons systems, with assistance from key international partners.
According to the report, there are signs that Beijing is attempting to channel these shipments through third countries to conceal their true origin.
The systems in question are shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as MANPADS.
These weapons posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying U.S. military aircraft during the five-week conflict and could do so again if the ceasefire collapses.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: "China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue."
"As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions."
A two-week ceasefire took effect on Wednesday, after weeks of fighting since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel initiated war on Iran.
Nearly 3,000 Iranians have been killed according to the country's authorities, while the conflict also left at least 13 U.S. servicemen dead and dozens of others wounded, and disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipping.
