China denies that, but is the denial believable?
CNN Reports US intelligence indicates China is preparing weapons shipment to Iran
US intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments.
It would be a provocative move considering Beijing said it helped broker the fragile ceasefire agreement that paused the war between Iran and the US earlier this week. President Donald Trump is also set to visit China early next month for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The intelligence also underscores how Iran may be using the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners.
Two of the sources told CNN there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their true origin.
The systems Beijing is preparing to transfer are shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, the sources said, which posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying US military aircraft throughout the course of the five-week war and could again if the ceasefire falls apart.
Asked by CNN on Saturday about the US intelligence and whether he has spoken to Xi about the issue, Trump indicated that Beijing would face consequences if it sent weapons to Tehran.
“If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” he said as he left the White House for Florida. Trump did not say whether he has spoken to Xi.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
Trump indicated during a press conference on Monday that the F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iran last week was hit by a “handheld shoulder missile, [a] heat-seeking missile,” and Tehran said it had used a “new” air defense system to hit the jet without providing more details. It’s unclear whether that system was Chinese manufactured.
Shipping MANPADS to Iran would mark an escalation in China’s support for the country since the US and Israel launched their joint military campaign in February.
Chinese companies have continued to sell the Iranians sanctioned dual-use technology that enables Tehran to keep building weapons and enhance its navigation systems, sources said, but the Chinese government directly transferring weapons systems would mark a new level of assistance.
One of the sources familiar with the intelligence said China sees no real strategic value in overtly entering the conflict and trying to protect Iran against the US and Israel, which they know would be unwinnable. Instead, Beijing is trying to position itself as a continued friend to Iran — whose oil it heavily depends upon — while remaining outwardly neutral so it can maintain deniability after the war is over.
Sources said the Chinese could also make the argument that air defense systems are defensive rather than offensive in nature, differentiating their support from that of Russia. Moscow has been providing support to the Iranian regime throughout the course of the war in the form of intelligence sharing that has helped Iran proactively target US troops and assets in the Middle East, CNN has reported.
Trump’s Meaningless Threat
Strategic Best Interest
It is in China’s strategic best interest for Iran to defend itself from US and Israel.
The story is credible but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
Trump responded “If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?”
But what can Trump do about it?
Trump is nothing but endless bluffs at this point.
Related Posts
April 10, 2026: The Implosion of Maga from the Core Is a Sight to Behold
MAGA splinters big time over the war. Trump’s reaction makes things worse.
April 11, 2026: Trump Changed the Middle East Forever. US Dominance Is ‘Basically Over’
The US can no longer provide protection to Mideast allies. And they know it.
O come on.
These manpads were a game-changer for the mujahidin against Soviet helicopters in the 1970’s.
Now they’re ubiquitous. Iran probably has reverse engineered Russian or American manpads and produces them at scale.
Relatively low ceiling, short-range.
I rule disinformation. To antagonize China.
America desperately needs more antagony.
The same US intelligence that pointed to battling Iran as a walk in the park? There is no such a thing as US intelligence, just consent fabrication or the proles.
Negotiations broke down over Iran’s desire for nuclear enrichment well beyond that needed for civil use such and medical equipment and electric generation.
Europe needs to play good cop and convince Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Is Europe going to defend them from the US and Israel?
They had agreed not to develop nuclear weapons many years ago in the JCPOA, but Trump tore up the agreement while Iran was in compliance with its terms.
Iran had no nuclear ambitions. That was the strongly-held position of Iran’s Supreme Leader. But then the US assassinated him and bombed Iran.
Shoulder fired weapons? Big deal. I was thinking China might send over a few Aircraft Carrier-killing hypersonic missiles. Iran already has a dangerous series of hypersonics. They haven’t used them–yet. Its a reason the U.S. Navy retreated 1,000 km from Iran during hostilities.
Asked Sunday on Fox News if he thinks oil and gas prices will be lower at the time of the midterm elections, Trump said: “I hope so. I mean, I think so. It could be (the same as now) or maybe a little bit higher. It should be around the same. I think this won’t be that much longer.”
I’ll take that as a “no”.
That was a masterclass in bullshit and refusing to give a straight answer.
China is a little late in the game to be arming Iran. Pretty easy to have AI satellite imagery identify shipments into the country.
AI targeting is getting to be scary accurate…
Think of when all gangs and criminal orgs 3D print their own assault drones. These things will be delivering grenades into every open bedroom window.
It’s scary how easy it is to build a rocket drone that flies 100mph+. The onboard computer is as powerful as an early 2000s pc.
Put a few 12 gauge shells in the nose with a mechanical trigger, and anybody outdoors is an easy target.
Like that elementary school?
If Europe was smart, they would disband NATO, disavow this latest US misadventure, and make a deal with Iran.
We would be kicked out of military bases all over the globe, which is fine with me. They’re expensive to maintain and too tempting to use.
“You know, when I was a girl, the idea that the British Empire could ever end was absolutely inconceivable. And it just disappeared, like all the other empires.” – Doris Lessing
I agree.
China needs the oil badly from the gulf. The tankers will start moving as soon as the check for mines is done by mid week–Arm the Iranian people to kill the Mullahs and burn the Mosques—Iran will be free again
China has an SPR of 1500 million barrels that they still haven’t tapped into. In fact they were still adding barrels throughout this conflict. I don’t think they are worried.
Here are their oil import sources:
Russia: 2-2.3 mbpd
Saudi: 1.6-1.8 (currently from the Red Sea)
Iraq: 1-1.2
Brazil: 1-1.2
Iran: 1-1.2
UAE: 0.9
Malaysia: 0.7-0.9
Oman: 0.6
Kuwait: 0.5
Venezuela: 0.4
Canada: 0.3
Very diversified. Roughly 4 mbpd could be cut off through the strait in total.
They have a pipeline directly from Russia. What is the flow rate on that and when will the next pipeline come on-line?
Just 0.6 mbpd by pipeline. 1.4-1.7 mbpd by tanker.
No new pipelines planned or under construction.
One natural gas pipeline in operation and currently being expanded. A second natural gas pipeline under consideration.
If the US closes the straits of Hormuz to all oil coming from Iran, then China won’t get “paid” for the rockets. Iran needs the money, mining the straits is cheap comparied to the cost and risks of blowing up Khark Island.
PS: No International laws get broken.
Another internet expert on Iranian public opinion.
Two of the sources told CNN there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their true origin.
=====
you MAY SAY it is ‘ through third countries’ if only countries have common land border.!
otherwise IT IS ALWAYS through third countries, AND-or using seas or oceans !
jesus. when did people become so stupid?
Trump is now saying he is initiating a naval blockade of the Strait, like he did in Cuba. This makes WW3 closer with Chinese oil ships wanting to get in and out of the Persian Gulf.
Only Trump would think the best way to open the strait is to close the strait.
Since it was the insurance companies that closed the strait and not the Iranians, that logic chain has some weak links.
We are lead to believe that the Iranians mined the straits, but that is minimal and easily rectified. Stopping oil exports to China is likely the goal. Expect a real or false flag attack in the Bab-el-Mandab Strait before the XI summit. It has been eerily quiet during this leg of the peace/war process.
Glad I’m on the side that is winning! Although it sure is going to be expensive and the costs will be paid by the taxpayer/debt and profits divided amongst the oligarchs.
Americans do not care how we get our oil, just that we get it! Wasn’t that a line in Top Gun?
Perfect! Let’s stop all shipments of everything out of the Persian Gulf. That should hasten a global recession. Trump keeps escalating the damage.
Iran was sending 1-2 mbpd to China, and India. Let’s cut that off.
The Saudis just fixed their east to west pipeline that carries 5 mbpd to the Red Sea. Though I expect Iran to repeatedly target that pipeline every time the Saudis repair it.
Looking forward to seeing how this affects oil prices this week.
Ah, it was Jack Kennedy who blockaded Cuba. That exercise was successful.
Putin is now offering to mediate the dispute. I think Russia could be a very effective mediator.
JD Vance just landed at Ramstein for refueling on his way back to DC.
Reports are that both the Americans and the Iranians are continuing to communicate with Pakistan.
If Trump follows his normal pattern, he will make a statement expressing optimism for a settlement before the market opens on Monday.
Trump’s statements may calm markets in the short term, but they don’t make products flow from the Persian Gulf. Every day that passes without a resolution, only makes things worse in terms of global shortages.
Any threshold dates we should be aware of regarding continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz? Originally you were talking about 2 weeks, but we have blown past that. Any thoughts on when and how much the price of oil changes in the near future if the strait stays closed?
We would have unlimited energy if we could power things with Trump’s bullshit.
2025 (latest major package): about $11.1 billion — the largest single deal ever
Trump (recent term, ~2021–2025 total): about $33.9 billion approved weapons and defense services to Taiwan over several years
Is it fair if China sell weapons to Iran?
–
This was a link from Real Clear Politics that I thought was interesting. It appears one of the consequences of this war is that the U.S. energy market is getting stronger, not weaker from the close of the Straight of Hormuz.
https://x.com/DrJStrategy/status/2043107307341378005
When Winston Churchill rose in Parliament in 1913 to defend shifting the Royal Navy from coal to oil, he anchored his case on a simple idea: “Safety and certainty in oil lie in variety, and in variety alone.” That same strategic instinct is now playing out on a global scale. Iran chose the opposite strategy and is paying for it.
By weaponizing Hormuz and forcing Asian refiners to scramble, Tehran has driven empty VLCCs to the U.S. Gulf Coast and helped turn American crude into Asia’s de facto swing barrel. What was meant as a show of strength has instead accelerated diversification away from Iranian and broader Middle Eastern barrels, capping price spikes and hard‑wiring U.S. supply into the core of Asian energy security. This is a major strategic shift in the global oil market: the United States is now standing in the middle of the chessboard, dictating flow and price signals, and no, this is not the 1970s.
Will U.S. barrels completely replace oil from the Strait of Hormuz? No, but Churchill’s logic still holds: a diversified system that keeps American oil and LNG at its center is not evidence that the U.S. is “losing” the Iran conflict, whatever the Doomers claim—it is proof that Tehran’s leverage is quietly being competed away.
Yes. There are always winners and losers. The longer that this conflict lasts, the longer the world loses 10-15 mb of oil each day, and the closer we get to a global recession. In that situation almost everyone is a loser.
US and Canada oil companies will be winners. For a while. Then governments will impose windfall profits taxes and the winning will end.
All sorts of medical disposables will disappear from the warehouses and then the shelves. How is McKesson going to source its products?
Good point. It looks like a bill was already introduced in the Senate last month to tax windfall oil profits from the Iran War.
https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Big-Oil-Windfall-Profits-Tax-Summary-3-17-26.v2.pdf
The article, not your post, reads like it was generated by AI.
While it is true that the US may benefit in the short run, I believe that the math says the US cannot supply itself and the entire world. SE Asia and Europe are going to suffer because they now have to compete with each other for remaining barrels due to the overall supply shortfall. Europe is already looking at running out of jet fuel in 3 weeks:
Europa podría quedarse sin combustible si Ormuz no reabre en tres semanas
When these countries slide into an economic depression, there will be effects on US multinationals. Coca-Cola will see lowered sales, as consumers in the EU and SE Asia cut back. The global recession will come to America in due time.
Agree. Good post.
Here are US numbers for oil and refined products daily in millions of barrels.
Oil
Production: 13.6
Imports: 6-7
Exports: 3-4
Refined products
Production: 17
Imports: 1-1.2
Exports: 6.5-7
Oil and refined products combined
Imports: 7.9
Exports: 10.7
Net result: The US is a net importer of oil but a net exporter of refined products. A total of 2.8 million barrels per day.
We do NOT have the capacity to change this in the short term without building more pipelines and refineries. In fact, we are closing refineries.
We cannot replace 10-15 million barrels per day of lost output from the Persian Gulf.
I looked at his X account, and I think he is just a good writer and because of that might be mistaken for AI.
https://x.com/DrJStrategy
There is a much bigger strategic plan in effect. They knew the negotiations would go nowhere before they started, that was probably a delaying tactic to get more forces in place. The U.S. is already sweeping the Strait of Hormuz for mines. This entire endeavor is also a proxy war on China’s ambitions in the region and its plans for Taiwan.
Here is an AI list of how China has been impacted by the U.S. and Trump’s efforts in the area. If it’s too long to read, the end line is: “Their $400 billion ‘strategic partnership’ is currently a $400 billion pile of rubble.”
———————————————————–
Gemini AI:
While Beijing is often viewed as a master of playing both sides, the physical destruction of infrastructure in Iran has wiped out years of Chinese investment and strategic planning.
Here is what was destroyed that China likely views as a significant loss:
1. The “Ghost Fleet” and Oil Storage
China’s primary benefit from Iran was access to cheap, sanctioned oil.
The Loss: On March 9, 2026, strikes destroyed roughly 30 large oil storage tanks and much of the port infrastructure at Kharg Island (Iran’s primary oil export terminal).
Why it matters to China: China was buying roughly 1.4 million barrels per day at a $9–$10 discount. With these facilities burning or dismantled, China can no longer receive that volume of “budget” energy, forcing them onto the global market where prices have spiked past $120 per barrel.
2. The Belt and Road “Keystone” (Rail and Logistics)
China viewed Iran as the central “land bridge” connecting Central Asia to Europe and the Middle East, bypassing sea lanes controlled by the U.S. Navy.
The Loss: Strategic nodes of the Qom-Yiwu rail link and logistics hubs near Tehran (including Mehrabad Airport’s logistics wings) were targeted.
Why it matters to China: China spent billions attempting to make Iran a stable corridor for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The war has proven that “connectivity cannot be insulated from geopolitics.” The Iranian corridor is now considered unusable or high-risk, forcing China to revert to longer, more expensive maritime routes or less-developed routes through Central Asia.
3. Tech and 5G Infrastructure
A major part of the 2021 “25-year cooperation agreement” involved China installing 5G networks and surveillance tech throughout Iran.
The Loss: Strikes on IRGC command-and-control centers and “dual-use” telecommunications hubs have physically destroyed significant amounts of Chinese-made hardware (Huawei and Hikvision equipment).
Why it matters to China: This wasn’t just about selling gear; it was about standard-setting. China wanted Iran to be a showcase for a “Chinese-standard” internet. Instead, those investments are now scrap metal, and Iran lacks the funds to pay China back for the original installations.
4. Coastal and Naval Presence
While not “bombed” in the traditional sense, China’s ability to use Iranian ports as a “soft” naval presence has been shattered.
The Loss: Reports from March 2026 show that nearly 92% of Iran’s large naval vessels were sunk, and ports like Chabahar (though the Indian-operated terminal was spared) saw their military and naval expansion facilities destroyed.
Why it matters to China: China had been eyeing these ports for potential “dual-use” (commercial and military) bases. With the Iranian Navy essentially deleted and the ports under constant surveillance/threat, any Chinese “presence” there is now a liability rather than a benefit.
In short, while China might “benefit” later by being the only country willing to lend money for reconstruction, they have lost the stable, functioning partner they needed to challenge U.S. influence in the region. Their $400 billion “strategic partnership” is currently a $400 billion pile of rubble.
Argentina plays both sides after getting monkey hammered by the world bank… “Just wanna be on the side that’s winning” is their meme now.
Did they ever send their bathtub fleet to the gulf?
Hmmm
“come, buy our oil” will turn into export and price controls
Remember that the Lannisters are not just killing the people of Dorne and trying to fight Winter fell. They are also killing their own people, even without apparent bloodshed.
Go ahead and buy medical equipment. As a hospital. Or as a home user. But it for yourself or grandma. Do it now, because the Lannisters are trashing trade so badly you will be lucky to get it in the future at a price you can afford.
Iranian policy is not to rely on foreign weapons. So far no one has proven that Iran uses Chinese air-defence systems.
Anyway, if China or Russia sold some weapons to Teheran would Trump impose 50% import tariffs on Chinese goods right before his visit to Beijing? I doubt it. The same applies to Russian oil, LNG, fertilizers, grains, aluminium.
Iran, a nation of 90m, can harness the atom for nuclear medicine, launch satellites, and design and build ultra-precision hypersonic manoeuvrable missiles. I think they can make SAMs. So, as usual, King’s Landing inflates the menace on the one hand and implies incompetence on the other — two incongruent memes that nevertheless might both frighten the audience into demanding “something be done” while instilling them with confidence the enemy can be beaten. Plus try to spread hate by association.
Of course, trade between partners helps both. That extends to weapons. So, it might be true. Even if so, what’s good for the goose.
Good observation: “…inflates the menace on the one hand and implies incompetence on the other…” I have noticed this strategy used for decades in the US propaganda system. On Monday they say threat X is incredibly dangerous and on Tuesday they say threat X is bumblingly incompetent, poorly equipped, poorly trained. The cognitive dissonance goes unnoticed and unremarked in both the “right” and “left” media and when you talk to people they don’t even register it. It is bewildering. Reminds me 1984’s 2+2=5. Maybe our overlords figure if we’re saturated in enough illogic and doublethink we won’t be able to think clearly at all.
I have mixed feelings about the war and many things going on in the Middle East. The Persians were not part of Islam until they were conquered by Muslims between 633 and 651, It’s been a forced ideology placed on them.
Then there is the biblical Jewish diaspora that was ended by human intervention. The debate is whether it was divine or human intervention. I, nor anyone else knows the answer to that.
AI Overview: The Rothschilds family played a foundational, long-term role in the creation of Israel, primarily through early financial support of Jewish settlements (1880s–1920s) and political lobbying for the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which paved the way for the 1948 state. They invested millions of pounds in land purchases, agriculture, and infrastructure, effectively building key community assets.
Regarding the topic of this blog post, here is some information about Chinese weapons from Grok:
Venezuela became China’s largest arms customer in Latin America after the U.S. imposed a commercial arms embargo in 2006. From the mid-2000s through 2025, Caracas purchased billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese military equipment as part of a broader strategic partnership that also included oil deals, loans, and infrastructure projects. Key systems acquired included:
– **Radars and air-defense systems**: CETC JY-27A (long-range “anti-stealth” surveillance radar, marketed as capable of detecting F-22/F-35 stealth fighters at over 150 miles and resistant to jamming), along with JYL-1 and JY-11 radars. These were integrated with command-and-control networks.
– **Ground vehicles**: Over 100 VN-4 armored utility vehicles (used by the National Guard), VN-1 and VN-18 infantry fighting vehicles (used by the Marines), plus light tanks and rocket launchers.
– **Aircraft**: More than 20 Hongdu K-8 Karakorum light attack/trainer jets.
– **Missiles and other gear**: Anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, possible HQ-9/HQ-12 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), assault rifles, and related systems. (Note: Many air-defense elements were paired with Russian systems like S-300VMs.)
On **January 3, 2026**, the United States launched a rapid military operation (codenamed **Operation Absolute Resolve**) in Caracas. U.S. forces conducted airstrikes to suppress Venezuelan air defenses, then used special operations units to raid Maduro’s compound, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The pair were flown out of the country to face U.S. charges. The entire action lasted roughly 2.5 hours, with Delcy Rodríguez assuming the role of acting president afterward.
**Performance of the Chinese weapons**: The systems largely failed to prevent or meaningfully disrupt the U.S. operation. Despite Chinese marketing claims, the JY-27A and supporting radars provided little to no effective early warning or tracking of incoming U.S. aircraft (including F-35s). Analysts attribute this to a combination of U.S. electronic jamming, possible poor maintenance/integration by Venezuelan forces, and inherent technical limitations. Venezuelan air defenses (Chinese radars + Russian SAMs) were suppressed or bypassed with relative ease.
Ground vehicles (VN-4s, VN-1/VN-18 IFVs) saw limited or ineffective use; reports indicate they were either overwhelmed, not optimally deployed, or played no decisive role in protecting key sites or Maduro himself. The K-8 aircraft and other platforms did not factor into meaningful resistance. Overall, the Chinese equipment did not deter the raid or protect the regime’s leadership, exposing gaps in real-world effectiveness against advanced U.S. capabilities.
Beijing was reportedly caught off guard (despite prior high-level contacts with Maduro) and issued only rhetorical condemnations, with no direct military involvement. The episode has been widely discussed as highlighting limitations in Chinese-exported defense systems when facing top-tier Western forces.
In short, while the Chinese weapons represented a significant portion of Venezuela’s arsenal (~16% of imports in the prior decade), they proved ineffective in defending against the U.S. intervention that removed Maduro from power. The rapid success of the operation underscored both operational shortcomings on the Venezuelan side and questions about the combat-proven reliability of the exported Chinese hardware.
Another perspective that is not popularly discussed. Balfour may have been the source or more violence in the Middle East than any other declaration in the history of mankind. And things are just getting started…
boom, Boom, Ka BOOM!
And they will still be calling it a “Peace Process”
😉
There will be peace when one side manages to genocide the other.
What is expected, and what would be a game-changer, is the appearance of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles. After all, this would be an attitude on the part of the Kremlin similar to that of the Americans in Ukraine.
This would require not only Russian crews, but also an aggression and decisiveness that the Russian leadership has sadly lacked.
2 speculations from another blog:
Is it possible the two week pause allows Trump to restart his 90 days time before being forced to ask congress to continue the war on Iran?
.
Looks like the war in Iran started when the China to Iran pipeline and railroad were almost complete..
.
I suspect there will be an intermission in the war until China spends more money to rebuild that part of the bomb ed pipeline and railroad from the Eastern border of Iran to Tehran.. Apparently USA bombing concentrated on destroying that pipeline and railroad during the active war..
.
I believe this whole thing is about sequestering as much oil and gas as possible and keeping that oil that cannot be controlled (by blowing up tankers, refineries and destroying sea ports and docks) from reaching China.
Posted by: snake | Apr 12 2026 3:08 utc |
As I said above, the only solution for Iran is for Russia and China to supply it with effective anti-aircraft missiles, which they have
One would think that China would want the Strait opened as quickly as possible. After all, it is their economy that gets hit the hardest if Hormuz stays closed. China is the country that is losing its oil, natural gas, helium, fertilizers and other gulf sourced resources.
The Saudis are exporting oil, gas and fertilizers to Europe & China through their and Israels Red Sea and Mediterranean ports at a slowed but sustained rate.
There are some serious breaks in the logic of this entire conflict. What US consumed products come through Hormuz that can not be sourced elsewhere?
Sulfur? Sure, 55% of global supply comes through Hormuz and that is bad news for copper production. China is building their grid, not the US. The US is producing lots of oil, gas, helium etc. We get our aluminum, copper, potash and fertilizers from Canada or produce most of them ourselves.
Be careful what you wish for… Or, pretending to know what the real goals are in this conflict.
If the exit south from the Red Sea is closed off from the Gulf of Aden by the Houthi’s, it forces all Saudi production north through the Suez to consumers in Europe.
If Iran wanted Bay-el-Mandeb closed by the Houthis? Could they pull it off?
It is the insurance companies that closed the Strait of Hormuz IMO.
Please dont post anything that long, especially GIGO from LLM. Link to it.
is the USA winning? To an outside observer, it looks like nothing is happening. But what we currently see is a large concentration of fires around the coast, A-10s and Apaches, lots of reaper drones for ISR, attriting the USVs, anti-ship missiles, mines and mine-laying vessels. According to the former CENTCOM commander, you don’t need to occupy this land to reopen Hormuz, at most you need fires and short raids. Only after this shaping process can the US Navy run escorts through the shallow and narrow littoral safely. It’s a gradual process, a plan that multiple former commanders have commented on publicly going back decades, and this is what the first steps look like. And unlike public perception that the strait needs to be 100% safe beyond any doubt before commercial shipping resumes, the precedent during Operation Praying Mantis proves otherwise. The situation in the Red Sea is somewhat different only because there’s an alternative route.
What was the point of your post? Was there supposed to be a conclusion that was omitted?
It was food for thought.
Expand your diet.
Oh.
Operation Praying Mantis? More like Operation Anal Fissure.
Oh, man. I had one of those the other day. Painful! I blamed it on Biden.
Excellent! More targets to shoot at. We subverted and destroyed Chinese air defense systems in Venezuela, so now we get to do it in Iran.
And rubbing Xi’s nose in his failure prior to Trump’s next visit will show who is the real boss.
No air defense systems of any origin were used in Venezuela. Elements of the military had been bought off.
Or they simply didn’t care, thought it was good to get rid of their leader.
Vice President JD Vance announced that talks had failed between Iran and the United States — all while President Donald Trump and his family attended a UFC event in Miami.
Trump walked into the arena and was booed by the crowd while Kid Rock blared, just as Vance had publicly acknowledged the conversation between the Iranian and American diplomatic teams had not reached an agreement despite the 21 hours of marathon talking.
Something tells me the markets on Monday will be booing Trump big time
If Vance thought he was going to go to Pakistan and get an agreement in one day, then either 1) he is a hubristic moron, or 2) this whole cease fire thing is just for show to allow the US time to do things like get a couple of destroyers out of the Persian Gulf. Or maybe both.
America supplies weapons for Ukraine to smash Russia who has been supplying Oil to China for decades. America has military bases in several Middle east countries including Israel to attack Iran. Iran has also supplied oil to China for decades. If Iran and Russia can be gradually prevented from supplying Oil to China by these American Military strategies then China would be crazy not to try and undermine this American domination plan.. China and the Whole World has observed America interfere everywhere Globally to keep everyone under their thumb for decades already. China is obviously fighting back by propping up Iran but as subtly as it can so as to not overly provoke the predator American beast.
Vance Says U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Break Down over Nuclear Issue The US, the only country in the world to ever use nuclear weapons in combat and on a civilian population… twice, and Israel, that has illegal nukes of their own, are trying to dictate who can have nukes?
The hypocrisy regarding nukes is just beyond comprehension at this point.
Israel is champing the bit right now to light one off.
They’re slow and steady. Great opportunity for them. Strategically and tactically (time wise).
And Vance’s bullying of how his Iranian counterparts dressed did not work to secure an agreement with them?
A Hillbilly, a Golf Buddy and a Real Estate Shyster walk into a bar….
Brian Berletic “The New Atlas” uses Oceania think tanks own documentation to explain much of what we see today.
Everything I seem to read about allot of China’s weapons Systems are they are grossly exaggerated by China as to their effectiveness.
Well that settles it, then. Did your sources also say that killing Khamenei I would bring about the swift collapse of “the regime”? And that the US had destroyed 90% of Iran’s missiles within the first three days?
where is this ‘everything’? links? Here is one for ya (from 2 days ago) The Iran war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China’s cooperation
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/middle-east-war-weapons-china-00864622
Temu MANPADS…count me in.
Do they come with Free Shipping?
I certainly hope China is sending air defense systems to Iran. Hopefully Russia is sending S-500’s, too. Iran can use any assistance against the Axis of Evil.
The impact of MANPADs would be significant. They’re not stationary. Hundreds or thousands of them spread out all over the place, and they don’t have to be turned on until you know an aircraft is in the area or on its way. You can’t mission plan around that very well, and any SEAD mission would be difficult to carry out unless you had lots and lots of Predator/Reaper drones that can continuously loiter. But even then the presence of those becomes a tell that you are planning for something else to be coming through.
And if someone turns a MANPADS on and targets you as you are coming by / over, all you have at that point is chaff and flares.
If Iran can take down an F-35 (US or Israeli) inside its own country and parade the aircraft (and maybe the pilot, too) for all the world to see, that $1T Too Big To Fail boondoggle of a program is over.
real men don’t need maxipads
How would chaff and flares work against five or six manpads fired at the same time or in organized succession?
IDK. They are only so many stores of chaff/flare and then you’re out. It might be a little difficult to organize an attack like that, and you probably wouldn’t want to concentrate your forces such that a single bomb/missile takes 5 or 6 MANPAD-toting people on the ground out. Might be more of a situation where you are lucky than good. But Iran only needs to get lucky/be good once or a few times. What US Air Power cannot afford to lose is the aura of invincibility. And it’s already been losing that in this war. What would really hurt that aura is Iran taking out a stealth aircraft or a bomber. In the interim Iran probably needs to figure out what the US is doing to replace radar coverage given the loss of ground-based radars all over the region and the AWACS destroyed in SA and go after those assets. Keep the US as blind as you can except for satellite coverage, which is only good for certain windows of time as they spin around the earth.
According to Times India, Russia is now supplying Shahed drones to Iran that are superior to the Iranian version. The Shahed went to Moscow in 2022 and came back as the Geran-2 in 2026.
And Ukraine is in the ME shooting them down. 😂
Do missiles with a max range of 8 km (in practical terms 3 or 4 miles) matter?
Probably not when compared to the ultimate economic weapon: the Hormuz sphincter. Russia’s Medvedev may be a a-hole but he’s no idiot, he said Iran HAS tested a nuclear weapon–closing the Strait. That weapon has the advantage of being, usable, scalable, and cheap. Two guys with remote control suicide drones can stop all shipping through the channel and there is nothing the combined forces of America, NATO, or anyone else can do about it.
MANPADS would matter a lot in a US ground invasion heavily supported by helicopters. MANPADS are highly efffective and lethal against helicopters.
All the Gulf States have been under attack from Iran. If China directly helps Iran, do you think for a moment that the Gulf States would provide shipments of oil to China ???
Yes, they would. Everyone is getting sick of Trump America.
Absolutely they would. They need the cash. Of course, if the US and Israel strike Iran heavily again, Iran may set all the oil and gas fields in the region ablaze. Then the GCC countries won’t be selling oil to anyone.
Iran is flush with cash now. Trump just gave Iran their $6 billion being held in Qatar.
Vance says that was from some Iranian talking out of their butt. — Didn’t happen.
Did he say it with his butt?
first they have to get their oil pass the Strait.
China is stacked and has diversified their oil suppliers
Well he could always throw another punch at China and have them beat our ass too. In for a penny in for a pound I say!