Tehran is approaching a deal with China for the purchase of supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles as the US has been escalating its naval military buildup with a deployment of an "armada" near the coast of Iran with the potential for impending strikes, according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday.
A pact, which involves the supply of Chinese CM‑302 missiles, is close to realisation, according to the news agency, which cited six sources aware of the matter.
The missiles have a range of 290 km and are designed with the evasion of ship-launched defences in mind as they fly low and fast. Citing two defence experts, the report stated that this move would notably improve Iran's defence capabilities and credibly match up to the US navy deployment.
Talks with China to purchase these missile systems had commenced two years ago and the discussions were significantly ramped up sharply after Iran's war with Israel, which went on for 12 days in June 2025 and created the need for the former to replenish and firm up its defence capabilities.
Iran's nuclear facilities saw sizeable damages after air strikes from Iran and the US. With the strikes hitting nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.
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As both countries spot a possible conflict on the horizon, Iran's acquisition of these missiles was termed a "complete game changer" by a security expert, who said this would give the country the supersonic capability to attack US ships and would be hard to intercept, Reuters reported.
Other details, such as the amount of missiles, the payment for the same and the finalisation of the deal, have not yet been determined.
An Iranian foreign ministry official said the current scenario was the perfect time for the country to leverage military and security agreements with allies, while China's foreign ministry denied awareness of the talks.
This development comes after President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum on Feb. 19, stating that Iran had to "make a deal" with the US to wind down its nuclear capabilities within the next 10 days. Talks between the two nations had progressed to a second round with progress reported but no conclusion reached.
ALSO READ: Iran-US Nuclear Talks Round 2: Understanding Reached On 'Main Principles' — What We Know So Far
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