Iran-Bound Cargo Ships Depart China Suspected of Missile Material Transport

According to an analysis by The Washington Postusing ship-tracking data, satellite imagery, and U.S. Treasury records, two cargo ships belonging to Iranian companies recently departed from Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, China, carrying goods to Iran. The shipments are suspected to be related to Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The two ships are the Shabdis and Barzin, both operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), a state-owned Iranian company that has long been sanctioned by the U.S., the UK, and the EU. The U.S. State Department has previously described IRISL as the “preferred shipping company for Iran’s proliferation activities and procurement agents.”

Both vessels had previously docked at Gaolan Port. Experts note that this port is one of China’s major chemical shipping hubs, including for sodium perchlorate.

According to Wikipedia, sodium perchlorate is commonly used as a precursor to produce other perchlorates, such as ammonium perchlorate and potassium perchlorate, which are widely used as oxidizers in solid rocket fuel, missile propellants, and fireworks.

Because of their critical role in missile and rocket propellants, perchlorate chemicals have long been classified by many countries as sensitive dual-use materials.

Isaac Kardon, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that China could have detained the ships through administrative or customs measures but ultimately did not, which he described as a “deliberate policy choice” in the context of war.

Ship-tracking data shows that the Barzin arrived at Gaolan Port on Saturday and left on Monday with a noticeably deeper draft, indicating it had been loaded with cargo. The Shabdis showed similar changes during its Wednesday–Thursday docking. Maritime intelligence firm Pole Star Defense confirmed this analysis.

Miad Maleki, a former U.S. Treasury official and senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that Gaolan Port has one of the largest liquid chemical storage facilities in southern China. Based on prior shipments of related chemicals from this port to Iran, he concluded that the two ships were likely carrying sodium perchlorate.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data showed that as of Saturday, both ships were in the South China Sea. The Barzin anchored near Malaysian waters, heading to Bandar Abbas in Iran, approximately 4,000 miles away, with expected arrival next week. The Shabdis continued its journey, expected to reach Chabahar Port on March 16. Both ports are located near the Strait of Hormuz, also key Iranian naval bases.

Last year, the U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting the flow of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate from China to Iran—chemicals used in ballistic missile solid propellants. The U.S. has long accused China of providing Iran with missile-related technology and materials, which Beijing denies, claiming the trade is normal commercial or dual-use transactions.

Data shows that 12 IRISL ships have docked at Gaolan Port since the beginning of this year, using the same terminals as the Shabdis and Barzin. Most of these ships left port showing they had been loaded, with some confirmed to be carrying sodium perchlorate.

Experts point out that after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes destroyed multiple Iranian missile storage facilities, Iran’s demand for missile propellant materials has surged.

By Gao Yun