TEHRAN/BEIJING — February 25, 2026 — Iran is nearing a final agreement with China to acquire a significant battery of CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles, according to six sources familiar with the high-stakes negotiations. The reported deal surfaces as the United States completes its most substantial naval buildup in the region in over two decades, positioning a massive armada off the Iranian coast ahead of a looming deadline for nuclear negotiations.
Strategic Capabilities and Tactical Impact
The CM-302, a supersonic, sea-skimming missile with a range of approximately 290 kilometers, is designed specifically to penetrate modern shipborne defense systems. Military analysts describe the potential acquisition as a "transformative" development for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
Interception Difficulty: By flying at low altitudes and high speeds (Mach 3), the CM-302 significantly reduces the response time available to U.S. carrier strike group defenses.
Regional Deterrence: Its range allows Iran to effectively project power across the entirety of the Strait of Hormuz and deep into the Arabian Sea.
Accelerated Diplomacy Following the "Twelve-Day War"
While bilateral discussions began over two years ago, negotiations reportedly entered a "rapid acceleration" phase following the Twelve-Day War in June 2025—a direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran that drew in U.S. "bunker-buster" strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Sources indicate that Massoud Oraei, Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister, conducted a previously undisclosed mission to Beijing last summer to finalize the technical requirements of the transfer. This engagement signals a deepening of the Tehran-Beijing strategic partnership, occurring despite the reimposition of UN-level arms restrictions last September.
Regional Tension and the U.S. Response
The report coincides with an ultimatum from the Trump administration, which has warned of "severe consequences" if a new nuclear framework is not established within days. The U.S. has currently deployed two carrier strike groups—the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford—alongside over 150 aircraft and several guided-missile destroyers to the theater.
"Iran maintains active security agreements with its strategic partners," an Iranian Foreign Ministry official stated earlier this week. "We view the current regional climate as an appropriate time to operationalize these defense protocols."
Beijing has officially denied knowledge of the specific missile sale, maintaining its standard diplomatic stance of promoting regional stability while simultaneously rejecting unilateral U.S. sanctions.
