Tehran’s missile factories hum louder than ever, churning out solid-fuel boosters just weeks after UN sanctions slammed the brakes on its arms race. European intel reveals China—defying the crackdown—has funneled 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate, the rocket-juice precursor, to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port since late September. As U.S.-flagged ships dodge patrols and drones shadow tankers, experts warn: This isn’t replenishment—it’s escalation, with nukes in the crosshairs.
Snapback Backfire: Chemicals Pour In Post-Ban
The “snapback”—triggered September 27 by France, Germany, and the UK over Iran’s JCPOA nukes fumbles—revived 2015-era bans: No ballistic missile tech, no nuclear delivery aids, no arms exports to Tehran. China and Russia howled foul, but shipments rolled anyway.
Since September 29, 10–12 vessels—many U.S.-sanctioned—have docked, hauling the chemical bought post-June’s 12-day Israel clash that scorched Iran’s arsenal. CNN tracked four: MV Basht (Zhuhai to Bandar Abbas, Sept. 15–29), Barzin (Gaolan–Bandar Abbas, Oct. 2–16), Elyana (Changjiangkou–Bandar Abbas, Sept. 18–Oct. 12), and the shadowy MV Artavand (Liuheng–Bandar Abbas, Oct. 12, AIS dark). Crews? Tied to Iran’s Islamic Republic Shipping Lines, their Insta trails a blatant breadcrumb from Shanghai to the Strait of Hormuz.
Sodium perchlorate? Not explicitly banned—unlike its downstream cousin ammonium perchlorate—but a clear missile feeder. Carnegie’s Tong Zhao: “China’s thumbing its nose at the snapback’s ‘illegality,’ claiming sovereign export rights.” Beijing, a JCPOA signer, pushed a six-month extension in September—shot down hours before sanctions bit. Xi Jinping to Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian last month: “We back peaceful nukes—no weapons chase.”
From June Firefight to Factory Frenzy
Israel’s strikes gutted depots; Tehran vowed payback. Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization—Tehran’s missile arm—snagged 1,000 tons more in May aboard Hamouna (Taicang–Bandar Abbas, May 22–June 14), mere weeks after an April 27 Bandar Abbas blast (70 dead, hundreds hurt) linked to the stuff. Now, post-snapback volumes dwarf that—urgent restock for mid-range Shahab-3s and beyond.
U.S. intel eyes escalation: These aren’t fireworks; they’re WMD vectors. UN rules bar “any activity” on nukes-hauling missiles, yet China’s “not-listed” loophole persists. Zhao: “Beijing knows the endgame—missile might—but prioritizes principle over proliferation curbs.”
Global Ripples: From Hormuz to the High Seas
As tankers ghost through the strait, Western navies prowl. U.S. sanctions hit the ships and firms, but Beijing shrugs: “Diplomatic nuke talks first.” Russia’s in lockstep, both decrying snapback in a October 18 UN letter—mere days before JCPOA’s sunset would’ve axed sanctions forever.
On X, hawks rage: “China arms Iran’s apocalypse clock.” Doves: “Sanctions theater—talks, not tariffs.” With October 18’s missed deadline, Tehran’s file stays open, but so do the floodgates.
Tehran’s rebuild? A powder keg with a short fuse. As missiles multiply, the Mideast asks: Diplomacy’s deadline, or doomsday’s dawn?
Source: CNN.com
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