Iranian state media reported on Monday that Iran has signed a military cooperation agreement with China, pledging to hold joint military drills and “create a collective movement to confront” the threat of terrorism.
“Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Hossein Dehghan signed the agreement Monday along with his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan,” the Associated Press reported.
The Jerusalem Post adds that Tehran is considering a $10-billion arms deal with Moscow, to purchase “T-90 tanks, artillery systems, planes, and helicopters,” to go along with what General Dehghan described as Iran’s “upgrade in long-term military and defense cooperation with China.”
The Jerusalem Post envisioned Beijing as “surprised and worried” by the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, while Iran braces itself for possible renegotiation of Barack Obama’s nuclear deal, and Russia works to “repair relations with Washington.”
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said that after “witnessing increased mutual visits and personnel training cooperation between the armed forces in recent years,” General Chang was “confident that the friendly relations between the two countries” would be reinforced by the new Iran-China military cooperation agreement.
The Tehran Times cites rumors that in addition to buying tactical ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles from China, Iran is interested in buying 150 Chengdu J-10 fighters from China for about $1 billion.
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