Merve Aydogan
07 March 2026•Update: 09 March 2026
ANKARA
China may be shifting toward providing Iran with financial support, replacement parts and missile-related components, according to a CNN report Friday.
Citing three people familiar with the matter, the report said Beijing has avoided direct involvement in the conflict, but US officials are monitoring signs that Beijing’s position could be shifting.
China is a major buyer of Iranian crude oil and has separately urged Tehran to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, the report said.
A source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that Beijing is approaching any potential support cautiously, partly because the conflict could threaten its energy security.
The CIA declined to comment on the intelligence, CNN reported. The report said Russia has allegedly been sharing satellite imagery and other targeting intelligence with Iran, including data on the positions and movements of US forces.
Last week, six US troops were killed and several others injured in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.
Iran has launched thousands of attack drones and hundreds of missiles at US military sites, embassies and civilian targets, as US and Israeli strikes have hit more than 2,000 locations in Iran.
Regional tensions have risen sharply since the US and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on Saturday, which have killed more than 1,000 victims, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than 150 schoolgirls and senior military officials.
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting US bases, diplomatic facilities and military personnel across the region, as well as several Israeli cities.
The attacks have continued to escalate.
