Iran nears China anti-ship supersonic missile deal as US carriers mass in region: report

Iran is nearing a woody with China to get supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, a determination that could importantly rise the stakes successful the Middle East arsenic U.S. bearer onslaught groups assemble wrong striking region of the Islamic Republic.

Reuters reported Tuesday that Tehran is adjacent to finalizing an statement for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, citing six radical with cognition of the negotiations.

The supersonic weapons, which tin question astir 180 miles and alert debased to evade vessel defenses, would heighten Iran’s quality to people U.S. naval forces operating successful the region.

The woody is adjacent completion, though nary transportation day has been agreed, the radical said. It is unclear however galore missiles are involved, however overmuch Iran has agreed to pay, oregon whether China volition yet proceed fixed heightened determination tensions.

The CM-302 supersonic anti-ship rocket limb strategy is shown during the Zhuhai Airshow successful Zhuhai, China, Nov. 2, 2016. (Dickson Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated aft past year’s 12-day warfare betwixt Israel and Iran, which near Tehran’s subject infrastructure strained and heightened determination tensions.

The reported woody comes arsenic President Donald Trump warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its atomic program, portion the Pentagon has deployed aggregate bearer onslaught groups to the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford. The buildup marks 1 of the largest U.S. naval deployments successful the portion successful caller years.

Trump said connected Feb. 19 helium was giving Iran 10 days to scope an statement implicit its atomic programme oregon look imaginable subject action.

WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM 'BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL' AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION

The craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln docks astatine Souda Bay connected the Greek Mediterranean land of Crete, Feb. 24, 2026, pursuing orders by U.S. President Donald Trump to summation the American naval beingness successful the region. (Costas Metaxakis/AFP via Getty Images)

A White House authoritative told Fox News Digital that the president remains steadfast that Iran cannot make atomic weapons oregon enrich uranium.

"The President would similar to spot a woody negotiated, but helium has been wide that ‘either we volition marque a woody oregon we volition person to bash thing precise pugnacious similar past time,’" the authoritative said erstwhile asked for remark connected the reported approaching Iran-China deal.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei past week appeared to endanger U.S. warships directly.

"More unsafe than that warship is the limb that tin nonstop that warship to the bottommost of the sea," Khamenei wrote connected Feb. 17 connected X.

Military analysts accidental a Chinese transportation of supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations successful the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.

"It’s a implicit game-changer if Iran has supersonic capableness to onslaught ships successful the area," Danny Citrinowicz, a erstwhile Israeli quality serviceman and elder Iran researcher astatine Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. "These missiles are precise hard to intercept."

IRAN ANNOUNCES TEST OF NEW NAVAL AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES

The reported woody comes arsenic President Donald Trump, left, warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its atomic program. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured right. (Chip Somodevilla; Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu)

Still, U.S. forces support layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot rocket batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighters, Fox News Digital reported.

Last year, Navy destroyers successful the eastbound Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles utilizing SM-3 interceptors, portion Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from the USS Abraham Lincoln changeable down Iranian drones that approached U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.

Iran has besides relied connected swarming accelerated boats, ballistic missiles and drones successful past confrontations with U.S. forces.

The White House did not straight code the reported rocket negotiations erstwhile asked by Reuters. China’s overseas ministry told the outlet it was not alert of the talks.

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The imaginable transportation would people 1 of the astir precocious Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran successful decades and could trial U.S. sanctions authorities if finalized.

As U.S. forces instrumentality retired crossed the region, defence officials person stressed that the buildup is designed to deter Iranian aggression — but warned they are prepared for combat if diplomacy fails.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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