China has been talking up its role as peacemaker between Washington and Tehran—even as its cargo planes keep landing in Iran with gear that can fuel a war with America. Customs records reviewed by the Wall Street Journal show roughly 1,300 shipments of "dual use" components from China to Iran's Defense Ministry in the first half of the year, including electronics for drones and missile guidance systems. Those deliveries have continued despite a US naval blockade and a raft of fresh sanctions, and as Iran's drones and missiles have been used in attacks that have killed American troops.
US officials say Chinese satellite imagery aided a deadly July strike on US forces, and that Chinese firms have supplied chemicals for Iranian missiles and tried to help Iran acquire modern shoulder-fired launchers. Beijing has also become Tehran's economic lifeline, buying the bulk of its oil in defiance of US sanctions, helping route payments through Chinese banks and shell companies using the yuan.
Yet the White House has largely muted public criticism, wary of jeopardizing broader talks on trade and security—an approach some in Trump's own administration and in Congress argue is undermining pressure on Iran. While China denies its state-owned entities are aiding Iran's war effort, GOP Rep. John Moolenaar says its actions are "tantamount to an act of war against the United States," per ABC News. "Our servicemembers are paying the price in blood for this administration's pathetic refusal to confront Beijing," add a group of Democratic lawmakers in a letter sent to Trump ahead of Xi's White House visit.
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