Description: Two US – sanctioned ships, the Golbon and Jairan have left the Chinese port of Taicang with crucial 1,000 – ton shipment of sodium perchlorate which is the key component for the assembly of mid-range ballistic cruise missiles. The shipment is part of the ongoing trade exchanges between the countries, and it was procured on behalf of the Procurement Department of the Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (SSJO) of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The procurement comes after Iran experienced considerable defeats in the geopolitical battlefield with Hezbollah and the ousting of Bashar al – Assad in Syria and its aiming at bolstering the country’s offensive and defensive capabilities.
Impact: Iran has recently strengthened ties with both Russia and China as western – led sanctions have seriously depleted the countries main source of income – oil exports. With the recent military and defense procurements the country would aim to reposition itself on the global geopolitical stage and strengthen the operational capabilities of its terrorist proxies in the region. The circumvention of western – led sanctions could considerably enable Iran to rearm which could prompt opposition forces such as Israel to focus international military efforts towards Iranian military capacities in the future.