A Chinese link to Middle East conflict

There is no doubt that Iran is the source of Hezbollah’s arsenal of missiles, which have recently been used against Israel. But the controversial issue is whether these missiles are genuine Iranian products. Military and intelligence reports have long confirmed that they are one of the fruits of the strategic alliance between Tehran and Beijing.

Sino-Iranian ties, initiated in 1971 during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, have strengthened after Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979. In recent years, however, cooperation between the two countries has grown exponentially, primarily because of China’s insatiable energy needs and Iran’s hunger for technology and consumer goods, as the economies of both states continue to expand.

gulfnews