Accusations that China is supplying chemical weapons to Iran

Two cargo ships belonging to an Iranian company, which the United States accuses of supplying materials for Iran's ballistic missile program, have departed from a Chinese port carrying chemical substances, bound for Iran. These facts have been revealed through an analysis of ship tracking data, satellite imagery, and Treasury reports conducted by The Washington Post.

These ships belong to the state-owned company 'Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines' (IRISL), which is subject to American, British, and European Union sanctions.

The two ships, 'Shabdis' and 'Barzin', were anchored at Gaolan Port, which belongs to Zhuhai city on China's southeastern coast. Experts indicate that chemical substances such as sodium perchlorate, essential for producing solid rocket fuel for Iran's missile program, were loaded at this port. These ships have the capacity to carry 6,500 and 14,500 20-foot containers, respectively.

War analysts state that China allowing ships carrying materials related to weapons production to depart from its port is a significant event, especially given the current direct military situation between the United States and Iran. Since the beginning of this year, about a dozen other IRISL ships have visited this port. Isaac Kardon, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, points out that China's failure to detain these ships through administrative or customs obstructions, even while publicly calling for restraint, was a deliberate decision.

These ships departed from the Chinese port after the United States and Israel began launching attacks against Iran. Evidence suggests they were loaded with a large cargo, based on draft analysis, and this data has been independently confirmed by the maritime intelligence firm 'Pole Star Defense'. Miad Maleki, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, states that Gaolan Port is one of the largest liquid chemical storage terminals in Southern China.

According to tracking data, by Saturday, these ships were sailing in the South China Sea. The 'Barzin' ship has anchored in the waters off Malaysia and is expected to reach Bandar Abbas port, approximately 4,000 miles away, next Saturday. The 'Shabdis' ship is expected to travel another 4,500 miles and arrive at Chabahar port in Iran on March 16. Iranian naval bases have been established at both these ports, located in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions to halt the flow of sodium perchlorate and other chemicals from China to Iran, aiming to disrupt Iran's ballistic missile production. Critics note that due to American missile strikes destroying Iran's underground weapons depots, Iran's need for these rocket fuel chemicals has become more urgent than ever. Under such circumstances, China's slight shift in policy is considered a bold strategy that could also impact its relations with countries in the Gulf region.

Data confirms that 12 other IRISL ships that visited Gaolan Port since this year were also anchored at the same terminal where 'Barzin' and 'Shabdis' were docked. Maritime data further reveals that with the onset of American and Israeli attacks, several other ships bound for Iran, such as 'Hamouna', 'Abyan', and 'Arzin', have taken steps to change their routes. Another ship, 'Basht', stopped broadcasting its tracking data approximately 13 miles from Bandar Abbas port.