Iran is claiming that the People’s Republic of China now regards it as a “strategic partner” as governments in Beijing and Teheran announced this week a deepening of military and security ties. The announcement came against a backdrop of accusations by the US that China has assisted Iranian efforts to circumvent sanctions designed to dissuade the Islamic Republic from pursuing its renegade nuclear program. “Given Iran and China’s common views over many important political-security, regional and international issues, Beijing assumes Tehran as its strategic partner,” the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted a senior Chinese official as saying. Meanwhile, AFP reported on Monday that Iranian warships have docked in Port Sudan, 1130 km south of Eilat, with a Sudanese Army spokesman laconically declaring that they will “continue elsewhere” after a few days of loading supplies. Read More
