Iran may use Chinese-made missile to shoot down US F-15: report

The U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over southwestern Iran last month was likely hit by a Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile, NBC reported citing sources.U.S. officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the April shootdown, the first time in decades that a U.S. fighter jet was downed by enemy fire.At that time, the president Donald Trump The plane was said to have been hit by a shoulder-fired missile. These weapons, commonly known as man-portable air defense systems or man-portable air defense systems, are about 7 feet long and weigh about 40 pounds and are widely used to target low-flying aircraft.Both crew members on the F-15 ejected safely over Iran. The pilot was rescued within seven hours, while the weapons systems officer was found and rescued after two days hiding in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains, according to the Pentagon. Officials said it was unclear whether the missile believed to have shot down the F-15 was recently delivered or came from Iran’s old stockpile.In response to questions about the F-15 incident, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy said: “China has always adopted a prudent and responsible attitude when it comes to military exports, and strictly controls them in accordance with China’s export control laws and regulations and its due international obligations. China opposes unwarranted smears and malicious associations.”Early in the conflict, China may have provided Iran with long-range early warning radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft designed to evade detection, according to a source and a U.S. official familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether the radar system, known as the YLC-8B, was deployed during the war.The Trump administration has also accused China of supporting Iran through satellite services. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on three Chinese satellite companies, claiming they provided imagery and data that helped Iran target U.S. forces in the Middle East. China denies the accusations.Despite these concerns, a U.S. official familiar with the discussions told NBC News that any Chinese aid would have little impact on the battlefield.“This is not significant support. It has no decisive impact on operations,” the official said.Iran’s reported use of Chinese-made military equipment has added a new dimension to the Iran issue. US-China Relations Currently, U.S. and Iranian officials are seeking an end to the conflict. Negotiations are ongoing even as the United States continues what it calls a “defensive” strike.Trump administration brokers ceasefire with Iran ahead of key meeting with president Xi Jinping earlier this month. China is a major buyer of Iranian oil exports and has repeatedly called for an end to the war.“At some point, we are not immune to global oil prices because we do buy oil from the global market, but the rest of the world is paying a higher price,” Secretary Marco Rubio Said during a trip to China. “They have to be involved, too.”Rubio, however, dismissed suggestions that Washington is relying on Beijing for aid, saying, “We’re not asking for help from China. We don’t need their help.”China provided Iran with a large amount of military equipment in the 1980s and 1990s, including ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, tanks, artillery and fighter jets.Passed by a United Nations According to experts and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, after an arms embargo was imposed on Iran in 2006, China reduced its major arms sales and instead provided civilian and military parts and technology. Iran subsequently expanded its domestic arms production industry.Experts say China continues to provide economic support to Iran despite U.S. sanctions. Beijing also helps Iran strengthen its domestic surveillance systems and maintain its military through technology transfers and other dual-use items, said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.