Iran is reportedly nearing a deal with China to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles, as the US threatens strikes on the Islamic Republic and presses its biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades. Although the negotiations have been on since the past two years, the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June has accelerated the discussions. China had been a major weapons supplier to Iran in the 1980s, but that dwindled by the next decade due to international pressure. The deal for the Chinese-made CM-302 missiles is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed upon, Reuters reported.

Full report : Apart from the CM-302, the Islamic Republic is also in talks to acquire Chinese surface-to-air missile systems, so-called MANPADS, anti-ballistic weapons, and anti-satellite weapons.