Evidence

The claim traces to a Wall Street Journal investigation (reported in September 2026) that analyzed Iranian customs data from January through June 2026 and found Chinese entities sent roughly 1,300 shipments of drone- and missile-related dual-use components (GPS devices, motors, electronics, chemical compounds) to Iran's Ministry of Defense, reportedly routed in part via a US-sanctioned carrier (Mahan Air) whose China-Iran flights increased sharply. The Times of Israel's own reporting (both a liveblog entry and a standalone article) explicitly attributes the figure to this WSJ report. The same WSJ findings were independently repeated by multiple other outlets, including The Jerusalem Post, IranWire, IBTimes, Iran International, and an INSS (Institute for National Security Studies, Israel) analysis, all citing the WSJ's customs-data analysis. No independent fact-checking organization (Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo) appears to have specifically reviewed or disputed this claim — it is being treated as straightforward investigative news reporting rather than a viral misinformation claim requiring debunking. I found no contradicting reports disputing the 1,300 figure or the underlying WSJ methodology.