European intelligence agencies are tracking a massive delivery of rocket fuel precursors from China to Iran, raising alarms about Tehran’s rapid efforts to re-arm. According to the reports, 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate have been shipped from Chinese suppliers to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas since late September 2025.
This chemical is not explicitly banned under current UN sanctions, but it is the primary precursor for ammonium perchlorate, the key oxidizer in the solid propellant used to power Iran’s mid-range ballistic missiles. Intelligence sources estimate that a shipment of this size is sufficient to produce propellant for approximately 500 missiles, such as the Kheibar Shekan or Haj Qasem.
The shipments, which began arriving on September 29, are seen as part of a determined campaign by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to rebuild its missile stockpiles. Iran’s arsenal was reportedly depleted during the 12-day conflict with Israel in June 2025, which saw Tehran expend a significant number of missiles in large-scale attacks.
This transaction highlights a loophole in international sanctions, which do not specifically name sodium perchlorate, allowing China to claim the shipments are not in violation. However, experts note the chemical’s end-use is almost certainly for Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The delivery is intensifying a regional arms race. While Iran focuses on replacing its offensive missiles, the United States and Israel are simultaneously working to replenish their own stockpiles of expensive interceptors. The U.S. Navy, for example, has reported that its fleet is at risk as it has expended advanced interceptors, such as the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), in recent conflicts faster than they can be replaced.
A July 2025 report noted that it could take the U.S. until 2029 to fully replenish the interceptors fired during the June war, highlighting the immense industrial and financial strain of defending against missile saturation attacks.
