The man-portable anti-aircraft missile that reportedly shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter jet over southwestern Iran last month is likely of Chinese origin, NBC News reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
Chinese missile iran
The network said one of the sources, along with a U.S. official, said China may have also supplied Iran with stealth aircraft and long-range early warning radar equipment during the early stages of the war that Israel and the United States launched on Feb. 28.
The same sources noted that the downing of the U.S. fighter jet is still under investigation. The incident sparked a massive 36-hour search and rescue operation to find the pilot.
NBC notes that US authorities are continuing to review available information in order to determine precisely the type of missile used, as well as the extent of possible Chinese involvement in equipping the Iranian armed forces.
Last month, Donald Trump said he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping not to supply Iran with weapons systems. As Trump said at the time, the Chinese leader assured him “that, basically, he doesn’t.”