FLASH
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The flight plans showed a final destination in Luxembourg, but the plane appears to have never flown in European skies...
The day after Israel attacked Iran on Friday, a cargo plane departed from China. The next day, a second plane departed from a coastal city. Then, on Monday, another one departed, this time from Shanghai — three flights in three days.
The data showed that on each flight, the plane flew westward across northern China, passing into Kazakhstan, then south into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - and then disappearing from radar as it approached Iran.
To add to the mystery, the flight plans indicated a final destination of Luxembourg, but the plane appears to have never flown near European skies.
Concern has erupted in response to what may have been sent from China towards Iran, as Tehran's war with Israel continues.
The concern is real. Aviation experts have noted that the type of plane used, a Boeing 747, is typically used to transport military equipment and weapons, and is leased to fly on government contract orders.
"These shipments may not generate much interest because China could do something to help Iran," said Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter who specializes in China's relations with the Middle East and North Africa.
China and Iran are strategic partners, united largely in their opposition to the US-led world order and in favor of a new "multipolar" phase in global diplomacy.
Iran is also one of China's top energy suppliers, shipping up to two million barrels of oil a day - so it's no surprise that Beijing may be looking for ways to support and stabilize the Islamic Republic.
“The fall of the current regime would be a significant blow and would generate a lot of instability in the Middle East, ultimately harming Chinese economic and energy interests,” Mr. Ghiselli said.
He added that "moreover, there are probably many in Iran who are expecting some kind of help from China."
China has a history of supporting Iran despite international criticism, including sending thousands of tons of ballistic missile materials that could be used in Iran's development of nuclear weapons.
Direct involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict could undermine any changes China needs to make to stabilize its relationship with the United States, Israel's strongest ally. Beijing is still reeling from a high-stakes trade war with Washington.
“The presence of Chinese military equipment would make this impossible, especially since there are already some who are pushing the US to join the war also to contain China by attacking Iran,” Mr. Ghiselli said.
While the "likelihood remains low" that China would openly send defense materials to Tehran, the possibility "should not be ignored and should be monitored closely," said Tuvia Gering, a specialist on China and the Middle East at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.
Without independent inspections, it is not possible to know exactly what the cargo planes were carrying. On subsequent flights, some of the planes appear to take off from the same area along the Turkmenistan-Iran border and head toward Luxembourg, according to publicly available flight data.
Cargolux, the Luxembourg-based company that operated the planes, said its flights did not use Iranian airspace, but the firm did not respond to questions about what they were transporting.
Cargo manifests are not considered a matter of public record and, although any dangerous goods or special cargo must be declared to the operator and handling agents, the information provided may be inaccurate or misleading.
China has previously tried to ship weapons disguised as commercial goods, labeling drone parts as wind turbine parts, according to shipments intercepted by European authorities.
A Telegraph investigation last year revealed that China tried to send $1 billion (£738 million) worth of drones to Libya, hidden behind a network of shell companies in the UK, Tunisia and Egypt, in exchange for crude oil. /Adapted from The Telegraph/
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