Iran has reportedly received hundreds of Chinese- and Russian-made shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems as Tehran works to rebuild air defenses severely damaged during its war with the United States and Israel, according to Iranian opposition figures cited by MBN.

The opposition sources said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps received three types of man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS, which have been deployed around urban centers, military installations, border regions and other sensitive locations. Some of the weapons were also reportedly transferred to Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

Hamid Motashar, head of the Ahwaz Liberal Party, claimed that four cargo flights from China traveled through Pakistani airspace carrying approximately 400 Chinese QW-12 and FN-16 launchers, along with ammunition and replacement parts.

According to Motashar, some of the systems were deployed around Ahwaz to protect strategic facilities and command centers. He also claimed that Iranian forces used one of the systems to shoot down a drone near Bandar Abbas on July 13, though the claim has not been confirmed by the United States.

Separately, three Kurdish Iranian opposition leaders said Tehran received approximately 300 Russian-made 9K333 Verba missiles in five maritime shipments across the Caspian Sea.

Those systems were reportedly deployed in Tehran, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Mashhad, border areas and locations near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian-Kurdish political analyst Farzin Karbasi said Tehran has been using ceasefires to repair missile sites and restore military capabilities. He said Iran is also upgrading some of its drones with jet engines in an effort to increase their speed and ability to carry explosive payloads.

Strategic affairs analyst Amer Al-Sabayleh said the portable missile systems are unlikely to significantly alter the balance of power against U.S. air superiority, but could pose a threat to low-flying aircraft during the opening stages of a conflict.

MBN said it was unable to independently verify the reported shipments or quantities, and the governments of Iran, China and Russia have not publicly confirmed the alleged transfers.

The report comes after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir estimated in early March that Israeli forces had destroyed approximately 80% of Iran’s air-defense systems.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)