Telegraph: China Sends Cargo Planes to Iran via Uzbekistan

According to The Telegraph, China has sent several Boeing 747 cargo planes to Iran over recent days, with flight routes passing through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The British outlet described these aircraft as «mysterious,» noting that they disappeared from radar as they approached Iranian airspace. Interestingly, the listed final destination for the flights was Luxembourg.

Cargolux, the Luxembourg-based airline operating the aircraft, stated that its planes did not fly over Iran. However, the company did not respond to questions regarding the nature of the cargo on board.

Experts interviewed by The Telegraph believe the Boeing 747 cargo aircraft could have been used to transport military supplies and equipment.

«These shipments naturally raise significant questions, especially amid expectations that China may offer some level of support to Iran,» commented Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter.

Iran remains one of China’s key oil suppliers, and any destabilisation of the Iranian regime could negatively impact Beijing’s economic and energy interests, Ghiselli added.

Nevertheless, analysts suggest China is likely to tread cautiously given ongoing trade tensions with the United States.

Earlier, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan urged citizens not to respond to provocations amid the Iran–Israel conflict.