Reuters Reports Claim of Chinese Arms Shipments to Iran via Pakistan, but Allegation Remains Unverified

Reuters has reported that China is preparing to supply Iran with hundreds of shoulder-fired air defence missiles, with the shipments allegedly planned to transit through Pakistan. However, the news agency stressed that the claim is based on information from informed sources and has not been independently verified. Both China and Pakistan have denied the allegation.

In an investigative report published on July 29, Reuters cited three sources familiar with the agreement as saying that Iran had signed a deal to acquire between 300 and 400 Chinese-made man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including the QW-12 and FN-16 models.

According to the sources, the current plan envisages transporting the weapons by air from Urumqi in China's Xinjiang region through Pakistan before reaching Iran. Reuters noted, however, that the delivery schedule, quantity and transportation route could still change.

Reuters did not present the allegation as an established fact. Instead, it made clear that the information came from multiple confidential sources and could not be independently verified.

The report also said that alternative overland routes had been discussed, suggesting that logistical planning was still evolving. It did not state that any shipment had already been completed or that Pakistan's territory had in fact been used.

Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), rejected the report as "baseless and fabricated," denying any involvement in facilitating Chinese arms transfers to Iran. China's Foreign Ministry also dismissed the Reuters report as "groundless," reiterating that Beijing supports efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East.

So far, no satellite imagery, flight-tracking data, customs records or other independently verifiable evidence has been made public to confirm that Chinese weapons have been transported to Iran through Pakistan. As a result, the allegation remains unverified despite being reported by Reuters on the basis of multiple sources.