Iran expands missile arsenal with key chemical shipment
Shafaq News/ Iran has begun strengthening its missile capabilities with a new shipment of strategic materials, CNN reported on Friday.
According to the report, two vessels recently arrived in Iran, carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical believed to be a crucial component for missile fuel. Tracking data confirms that the ships docked on Thursday at Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran.
China has remained a diplomatic and economic ally for sanctions-hit Iran, decrying “unilateral” US sanctions against the country and welcoming Tehran into Beijing- and Moscow-led international blocs like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.
The shipment comes amid a series of regional setbacks for Tehran, including the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Hezbollah’s losses in Lebanon, weakening Iran’s influence in the region.
Iran boasts the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, with an array of short, medium, and long-range missiles. Its missile program has been a cornerstone of its defense strategy both before and after the Iranian Revolution, particularly in response to Western sanctions and geopolitical pressures.
The foundation of Iran’s missile development dates back to the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), when Iraqi missile attacks on Iranian cities exposed Tehran’s vulnerability. Lacking retaliatory capabilities, Iran sought to establish a cost-effective and self-sufficient missile program as an alternative to acquiring expensive warplanes or offensive systems.
During the war, Iran procured Soviet-made missiles from Libya and North Korea. In the post-war period, Tehran accelerated its missile development with technological support from North Korea, Russia, and China, achieving significant strides toward self-reliance in missile production.
