Suspected missile fuel shipments sail from China to Iran
Two cargo ships owned by a sanctioned Iranian shipping company have departed a Chinese chemical-storage port carrying cargo and are heading toward Iran, the Washington Post reported citing an analysis of ship-tracking data, satellite imagery and sanctions records.
The vessels – the Shabdis and the Barzin – are operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), a state-owned carrier under sanctions by the United States, Britain and the European Union. Washington has accused IRISL of transporting materials used in Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The ships recently docked at Gaolan port in Zhuhai on China’s southeastern coast, a facility experts say handles large volumes of industrial chemicals, including sodium perchlorate, a key precursor used to produce solid rocket fuel.
Experts tracking the vessels said the cargo likely includes sodium perchlorate, which Iran requires for missile propellants.
