Iran likely used a shoulder-fired Chinese missile to shoot down US fighter jet: Report

The F-15 fighter jet of the United States that was shot down over southwestern Iran last month and led to a dangerous rescue mission to extract a crew member was probably struck by a Chinese-made shoulder-launched missile, said reports in US media, citing three people with knowledge of the matter.

The NBC News report further said that in the early days of the conflict, China may have also provided Iran with a long-range early-warning radar that spots stealth aircraft that are meant to evade detection, according to one of the people and a US official privy to the matter.

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US officials are, meanwhile, still investigating the shooting down of the American F-15E Strike Eagle in April, the sources said. It was the first time in decades that a US fighter was downed by enemy fire.

The use of Chinese weapons by Iran against the US makes America’s relationship with Beijing difficult at a time when President Donald Trump has sought Beijing’s help in ending the conflict.

The US continues to launch its “defensive” strikes on Iran amid the ongoing negotiations to end the war.

The Trump administration announced a ceasefire with Iran ahead of a crucial meeting with President Xi Jinping. Since China is the primary destination of Iran’s oil exports, Beijing said the war must come to an end.

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When the plane was shot down, Trump said it was struck by a shoulder-launched missile. The missile, which is about 7 feet long and weighs 40 pounds and is also known as “man-portable air defence weapon,” or “Manpad,” provides an inexpensive and yet effective way to take down low-flying aircraft.

The two-man crew of the F-15 jet ejected safely from the aircraft over Iran. The pilot was rescued within seven hours, but it took two days to locate and rescue the weapons systems officer, who hid in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains.

Trump said in an interview that Xi had assured him that China would not provide military equipment to Iran. “President Xi has promised me that he’s not sending any weapons to Iran. That’s a beautiful promise. I take him at his word. I appreciated it,” Trump told reporters.

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As per US intelligence reports, China was planning to provide new air defence weaponry to Iran, and US officials may have leaked the intelligence to expose China’s plans.

It’s not evident if the shoulder-launched missile that possibly brought down the F-15 was delivered to Iran recently or it was shipped years ago.

Earlier, the Trump administration accused China of providing Iran access to Chinese satellites to help it target US forces in the region.

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The US State Department imposed sanctions on three Chinese satellite companies that were providing imagery and data to enable Iran to launch attacks against US forces in the Middle East. China denied the accusation.

China sold large quantities of weapons to Iran in the 1980s and 1990s, including ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, tanks, artillery and fighter jets.

However, Beijing backed away from major weapons sales after a UN arms embargo against Iran in 2006 and instead provided dual-use components and technology to Iran that had both civilian and military uses.

Iran then built its own domestic industry to produce weapons for its military.