Iran has ordered from China large quantities of materials for producing ballistic missiles, according to the Wall Street Journal that said the Islamic Republic is seeking to reestablish itself and its proxy network militarily, Report informs referring to The Times of Israel.
The news came amid ongoing Iran-US nuclear talks, which began in April. Israel has informed the White House that it will not strike Iranian nuclear sites unless the talks fail, according to Axios.
The Journal, which cited people familiar with the transaction, said Tehran had ordered enough ammonium perchlorate to potentially manufacture up to 800 missiles. The material is used to produce solid-fuel missiles.
The material is reportedly expected to arrive in Iran in the coming months. The Journal said the shipment had been agreed upon “months ago, likely before” US President Donald Trump’s announcement in March that he had proposed nuclear talks to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The ammonium perchlorate was ordered by an Iranian entity called Pishgaman Tejarat Rafi Novin Co. from the Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings Ltd., the Journal noted.
An official cited in the news said some of the ammonium perchlorate is expected to be sent to pro-Iran proxy groups such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have repeatedly launched ballistic missiles at Israel, most recently on Thursday.
Much of the material will reportedly remain in Iran as the country works to repair missile production plants that were damaged in October, when Israel responded to Iran’s second-ever direct attack some six months after an earlier missile-and-drone strike.
Israel’s October strike destroyed about a dozen so-called planetary mixers, which serve to blend ballistic missile ingredients, the Journal said.
