Iranian Cargo Ships Transport Missile Fuel Ingredients From China To Iran
The amount of sodium perchlorate being shipped from China to Iran could create 960 tons of ammonium perchlorate, which could then produce around 1,300 tons of missile fuel.
TEHRAN - Two Iranian cargo vessels are set to transport over 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient for missile fuel, from China to Iran in 34 20-foot containers, with the voyage expected to commence within the next few weeks, undergoing a three-week voyage.
Sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) reacts with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) to produce ammonium perchlorate (NH4ClO4), a key ingredient in the manufacture of solid missile propellant.
A report by the Financial Times said that the amount of sodium perchlorate being shipped from China to Iran could create 960 tons of ammonium perchlorate (NaClO4+NH4Cl→NH4ClO4+NaCl), which could then produce around 1,300 tons of missile fuel, enough to fuel around 260 medium-range missiles.
The containers are being shipped from China to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by the Iranian-flagged Golbon and Jairan ships.
According to a report by Axios, Israel has targeted 12 of Iran's "planetary mixers," which are crucial for manufacturing solid fuel for long-range missiles. This likely prompted Iran to seek the necessary ingredients from other sources, such as China.
It is not known whether Beijing knows about the chemicals being loaded into the Iranian cargo ships, and the Chinese Embassy says that it's "not familiar" with the situation, according to the FT report. The Iranian government has also declined to comment on the reports.