Iranian customs data show approximately 1,300 shipments of dual-use goods with applications in missile guidance systems and drones from China to Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) in the first six months of 2026. The goods shipped included GPS tracking devices, electric motors, and aircraft engine parts and largely arrived by air to Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. The air cargo shipments coincided with an expansion of Mahan Air flights from Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai to Tehran.

Several Chinese companies also supplied Iran with chemicals used to manufacture missile propellant by sea prior to the imposition of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran in early 2026. One U.S.-sanctioned company, Haokun Energy, told a sanctioned Iranian importer in December 2025 that it had coordinated with Chinese authorities to "confidentially" obtain required licenses for the export of sodium perchlorate to Iran and set up a shell company to carry out the transaction. A U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson said the department maintains a communication channel with Chinese counterparts to address Iran-related activity in China's jurisdiction.