Caught on Flightradar: Did China secretly send weapons to Iran? 3 mysterious cargo planes spark global alarm
Boeing 747 freighters flew from China towards Iran, but flights disappeared from radar near Iran. The planes were reportedly carrying heavy cargo; however, it is not confirmed. The planes were headed towards Luxembourg, but they never reached Europe.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Chinese Flights That Disappeared
China-Iran Strategic Ties
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
The Big Unknown
FAQs
Only a day after Israel launched attacks on Iran, a Boeing 747 freighter plane departed from China, the following day, another left from a coastal Chinese city, and then on Monday, a third plane took off from Shanghai, raising concerns that China might be sending weapons to Iran, as per a report.The three flights that flew in the three consecutive days, which were Boeing 747 freighters, are commonly employed to carry heavy-duty military equipment under government contracts, according to The Telegraph. All three flights took very similar paths, flying west over northern China, crossing into Kazakhstan, then curving south into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and then falling off the radar as it neared Iran, reported The Telegraph.The concerns over what might have been sent from China in the direction of Iran increased as the flight plan indicated that each plane was bound for Luxembourg, but none of the planes were even spotted anywhere near Europe, according to The Telegraph report.ALSO READ: With heat advisory extended, Southern Californians urged to stay cool as outdoor areas are closed off A lecturer at the University of Exeter who specialises in China's relations with the Middle East and North Africa, Andrea Ghiselli pointed out that, 'These cargos cannot but generate a lot of interest because of the expectation that China might do something to help Iran,' quoted The Telegraph.The doubts arise as China and Iran are strategic partners, who are aligned in their opposition to the US-led world order, and in favour of a new 'multi-polar' phase in global diplomacy, as per the report. While, Iran is also one of China's main energy suppliers, as it sends about two million barrels of oil a day, which might have led Beijing to find ways to support and stabilise the Islamic Republic, according to The Telegraph.Ghiselli explained that, 'The collapse of the current regime would be a significant blow and would generate a lot of instability in the Middle East, ultimately undermining Chinese economic and energy interests,' as quoted in the report. He added that, 'Moreover, in Iran there are probably many that are expecting some kind of help from China,' quoted The Telegraph.However, it is not possible to know exactly what the cargo planes were carrying unless an independent inspections is done, according to the report. While some of the aircraft which flew later appear to take off from around the same area along the Turkmenistan-Iran border, and go toward Luxembourg, The Telegraph reported, citing publicly available flight data.Because they vanished from radar near Iran, used large cargo planes suited for military transport, and claimed destinations (Luxembourg) that they reportedly never reached.All three were Boeing 747 freighters, often used in transporting military-grade cargo and government shipments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘You can worry about this later': Trump rejects Putin's offer to broker Israel-Iran ceasefire, asks him to mediate his own first
Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, US President Donald Trump said he rejected his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate a ceasefire between the two longstanding foes in the Middle East, telling him to focus on brokering his own peace deal with Ukraine first. 'I spoke to Putin yesterday and he actually offered to help mediate,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday (June 18). 'I said, 'Do me a favour, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first.' I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later,' he added. Trump's remarks come after Putin, during his meeting with senior news leaders of international news agencies in St. Petersburg, said that Russia had shared proposals with Israel, Iran and the United States to de-escalate the situation in the West Asia region. 'We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation,' he said. 'But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.' He then affirmed that even though the situation is complex, a solution to the conflict is possible 'It's a delicate issue,' the Russian president said. 'In my view, a solution could be found.' Trump and Putin held a telephonic conversation on Saturday where the two leaders discussed the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and also spoke about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social handle, said that he and his Russian counterpart spoke about Israel's ballistic attacks on Tehran and Iran's retaliatory missile salvos, while also highlighting that he pressed the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine. 'President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well,' Trump wrote. 'We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides,' he said. 'The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.'
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Israeli defence minister warns Hezbollah against joining conflict with Iran
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon's Hezbollah to exercise caution on Friday, saying Israel's patience with "terrorists" who threaten it had worn thin. The head of Iran-backed Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said on Thursday that the Lebanese group would act as it saw fit in the face of what he called "brutal Israeli-American aggression" against Iran . In other statements, the group has made no explicit pledge to join the fighting and a Hezbollah official told Reuters last week that the group did not intend to initiate attacks against Israel.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
EU to press China for better rare earth access at July summit
European Union leaders will use a summit with China next month to seek better access to Chinese rare earths and critical minerals, four sources familiar with the plans said, as the two sides tackle an array of tariff-related issues. For years, China has had a near monopoly on rare earth production . It increased its export controls on the minerals, in demand from automakers, the defence industry and producers of renewable energy, following the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on April 2. China also has grievances with the EU as the bloc has sought to protect its auto-making sector from cheaper Chinese imports, while China has imposed measures on France's brandy industry. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will travel to Beijing for the summit on July 24-25. It marks 50 years of EU-Chinese relations and will also take place two weeks after a deadline set by the United States for most trade partners to agree deals to avert higher tariffs. As automakers have said China's export restrictions on rare earth alloys, mixtures and magnets could cause production delays, European leaders are expected to press their case with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in separate meetings, said an EU official, who declined to be identified. Two EU sources said the EU mission to China is solely focused on rare earths until the summit. China's ministry of commerce in May said a "green channel" expediting rare earth licences for EU firms had been set up. However, one EU diplomat said that out of several hundred applications, no more than half had shown signs of being processed. "The situation is improving, although the percentage of cleared licences does vary. Additionally, even once the licence is given, delays can still be seen in customs clearances," Adam Dunnett, secretary general of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, said. The quest to resolve the supply crunch is among a number of trade conflicts between Europe and China. Brussels has imposed tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles alleging unfair state subsidies, prompting China to impose anti-dumping measures on EU brandy. Beijing has also initiated trade probes into EU pork and some dairy goods. Beijing not Brussels The lead-up to the summit, has not been smooth. It had been Brussels' turn to be the host but after China indicated Xi would not travel to the Belgian capital, Beijing was chosen as the venue. Some EU officials said they did not expect the summit to produce major deals, one commenting that China was "playing its cards very well". The official said China had identified rare earths as a major vulnerability and was waiting until the last minute to make any concessions. The EU wants China to grant rare earth licences for a longer period or to scrap them for exports to the bloc. In any case, it wants Beijing to clearly differentiate between the EU and the United States. China offered to prioritise civilian-use rare earth export licences for US firms during talks in London earlier this month. "If China wants the EU equidistant between itself and the Trump administration, China's trade regimes cannot equate the US and Europe either," said Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of trade think tank ECIPE, who met senior Chinese officials last week. Another EU official said the impending deadline to secure an agreement with the United States, which might press the EU to be hard on China in exchange for moderating US tariffs, made it difficult for the EU to work on a deal with Beijing. The official said it was always possible the July 9 deadline would be postponed or that details of any US deal could emerge later, limiting the possibility of EU progress with China. China wants the EU to replace its import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles with minimum price commitments and other concessions after it delayed the imposition of duties on EU brandy. China has said talks are in the final stages, but EU officials say progress has been limited.
