Iran buys material from China for 800 ballistic missiles - report
Iran understood to be seeking to replenish its arsenal as it's engaged in talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program
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Iran has ordered from China thousands of tons of a chemical compound used in ballistic missile propellant, a move that appears to signal an aggressive expansion of its missile capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The material is expected to arrive in the coming months and be used in the manufacture of hundreds of ballistic missiles, potentially trained on Israel. Sources cited in the report said that portions of the shipment might be handed over to Iran's jihadist proxies in the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen.
It is understood Iran seeks to replenish its arsenal as it's engaged in talks with the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump over its nuclear program. The Islamic Republic has likewise continued to expand its stockpiles of uranium enriched to just below weapons grade.
Earlier in the week Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his regime will not abandon uranium enrichment, rejecting a key U.S. demand.
The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman, which has mediated talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
After five round of talks, several hard-to-bridge issues remain, including Iran's insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and Tehran's refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, possible raw material for nuclear bombs.