More Iranian Ships Inbound with Ballistic Missile Propellant

Iran is reportedly procuring a further consignment of sodium perchlorate from Chinese manufacturers, as feedstock to produce ammonium perchlorate used to fuel Iran’s solid-fueled ballistic missiles, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper was unspecific about the source of the information, other than it was provided by “officials” in Washington - which does not necessarily mean that the leak originated from US government sources.

Sodium perchlorate when further refined in Iran into ammonium perchlorate makes up 70 percent of the standard fuel load of most of Iran’s solid-fueled ballistic missiles. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inventory of solid fuel ballistic missiles contains both longer range missiles such as the Khybar-Shikan and Fattah, used in Iran’s True Promise attacks against Israel. But it also includes shorter range missiles such as Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar systems exported to Russia for its war on Ukraine.

Iran was spotted shipping Fath-360 solid fueled ballistic missiles to Russia across the Caspian Sea in January, and is believed to have increased its exports since then. The US base at Al Asad in Iraq has been attacked on at least two occasions by Iranian Fateh-313 solid fuel ballistic missiles. The Houthi solid fueled Palestine-2 missile being used currently for attacks against Israel is believed to be either an Iranian Fattah missile, or a derivation of it assembled locally in facilities which have probably since been destroyed in recent US/UK air attacks.

The WSJ report indicates that the new consignment, to be shipped in pellet form, will be sufficient to fuel 800 ballistic missiles. MVs Golbon and Jairan, the two ships which carried Iran’s first consignment of sodium perchlorate, loaded a total of 58 containers, sufficient apparently to fuel 240 missiles. Hence, it appears that the new consignment is more than three times as large as the first, and will need to be shipped in about 185 20-foot containers. Not just for capacity reasons, but also because of its dangerous cargo status and the need to disperse the risk, the consignment looks as if it will again need at least two container ships, probably more, to bring the material safely home to Iran. As an IRGC- controlled activity, the import responsibility for the shipment is likely to be assigned to Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), as was the first consignment.

At least three medium-sized container ships owned by IRISL are currently in the CMK/K14 anchorage off Shanghai. MVs Barzin (IMO 9820269), Rayen (IMO 9820245) and Behta (IMO 9349590), under these or previous names, have all been subject by name to US Treasury sanctions, as IRISL has been. For the present, besides their ownership, current location and cargo-carrying characteristics, there is nothing to link these ships to the consignment which the WSJ reports is inbound to Iran.

The initial explosion at Bandar Abbas Commercial Port, April 26 (Tasnim News Agency - CC by 4.0)

To the annoyance of reformist-aligned politicians in Iran, the authorities in Bandar Abbas have still not been able to provide a convincing explanation as to what exploded so violently in the Rajaei Port container park on April 26. Reports that the material which exploded was sodium perchlorate off MVs Golbon and Jairan have not been countered. Satellite imagery has clearly identified the primary source of the explosion within the port logistics area at 27.124011°N 56.068211°E. But recently-published video on social media shows that in the aftermath there were at least three separate fires burning in the container park, with one seen being tackled by a water-carrying helicopter, suggesting that simultaneous sabotage at different points may have occurred. However, the size of the projected new consignment adds further weight to the attribution, suggesting that the first consignment of material was destroyed and needs to be replaced. In any case, Iranian missile production - and the need for solid rocket fuel - has significantly increased in recent months, because of increased exports to Russia and elsewhere and the need to replace stocks expended in the True Promise attacks against Israel.

WSJ: The April explosion in Iran, triggered by Quds Force Unit 190, destroyed Chinese ammonium perchlorate meant for proxy militias’ missile production.

WSJ also confirms earlier reports that Iran has, for the first time, provided long-range ballistic missiles to Shia militias… pic.twitter.com/8YyZMQ7Dq7

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 6, 2025

Fires burning in the Rajaei Port container park days after the initial explosion on April 26

Post the safe return of MVs Golbon and Jairan, the US Treasury announced on April 29 that it had sanctioned an additional six companies and six individuals based in Iran and China for their roles in the network procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of the IRGC. Besides those sanctioned in Iran, five Chinese companies based in Hunan and Shandong Provinces involved in the manufacture of dual-use chemicals have been sanctioned: Yanling Chuanxing Chemical, Dongying Weiaien Chemical, China Chlorate Tech, Shenzhen Amor Logistics and Yanling Lingfeng Chlorate.

Elsewhere, another IRISL ship known historically to have been involved in arms shipments is on its way home from Libya. The MV Elyana (IMO: 9165827) had lingered for three weeks in an anchorage off Tobruk, but left on May 30, possibly having come into the port briefly on the day of its departure. By June 5 the MV Elyana was stationary in the Suez South Anchorage, post a southerly transit of the Suez Canal, and will presumably soon set sail via the Bab el Mandeb for Bandar Abbas.