Iran Receives 300 Russian and Chinese Air-Defense Systems

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps distributed approximately 300 advanced 9K333 Verba man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) across Iran after receiving the shoulder-fired missiles from Russia and China. The weapons arrived via five small shipping containers transported across the Caspian Sea.

Iranian forces deployed the systems to military bases and sensitive locations, including the Tehran area, Kermanshah, Isfahan, the Strait of Hormuz, and regions near the Iraqi Kurdistan border. Reports also indicate that Iran transferred shoulder-fired missiles to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq over the last two weeks.

While reports of the deal first emerged in April, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Washington denied the allegations, stating that "China has not supplied weapons to either side in the conflict." Separate reports indicate that Russia has also been supplying Iran with advanced drones.