China Secretly Delivers HQ-9B Air Defense Systems to Iran in Emergency Airlift Amid Strike Fears

TEHRAN / BEIJING / WASHINGTON : Iran has reportedly taken delivery of advanced Chinese-made HQ-9B long-range air defense missile systems in what regional intelligence sources describe as an emergency effort to harden the country’s airspace against a potential American or Israeli strike. The alleged transfer, if confirmed, would mark one of the most consequential shifts in Iran’s military posture in more than a decade and signal a deepening strategic alignment between Iran and China.
Multiple security and aviation-monitoring sources say the systems arrived via an unusually intense airlift that began in mid-January, with at least 14 large cargo aircraft landing in Iran within a span of roughly 72 hours. The sudden surge of flights from southern China has fueled speculation that Beijing used a compressed delivery timeline to rush complete air defense units into position before any Western military operation could be launched.

According to flight-tracking data reviewed by regional analysts, the air bridge began around January 15, when a mix of Chinese heavy transport aircraft and Iranian-operated Boeing 747 freighters started arriving at Iranian airfields. Several of the Iranian planes are linked to Mahan Air, an airline long accused by Western governments of supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) logistics network.

By the end of the third day, at least 14 landings had been recorded. Defense specialists estimate that such a volume of traffic would be sufficient to deliver two to three complete HQ-9B battalions, along with reload missiles, command vehicles, and associated radar units.

China Secretly Delivers HQ-9B Air Defense Systems to Iran in Emergency Airlift Amid Strike Fears

TEHRAN BEIJING WASHINGTON Iran has reportedly taken delivery of advanced Chinese-made HQ-9B long-range air defense missile systems in what regional intelligence sources describe as an

www.thedefensenews.com

 

[Tall Timbers]

If we do attack, those will be some of the first targets to be destroyed. I guess there will be some Chinese casualties...

 

[Margery]

If we do attack, those will be some of the first targets to be destroyed. I guess there will be some Chinese casualties...

As it should be under these circumstances.

 

[mattfivefour]

And China will get a wakeup call as to how far behind America they are in weapons capabilities. Military shows and parades are impressive, but real warfare reveals reality.

 

[Margery]

And China will get a wakeup call as to how far behind America they are in weapons capabilities. Military shows and parades are impressive, but real warfare reveals reality.

And other than some theologians seeing them in the "kings of the east" or as Hal Lindsay thought as part of the demonic army of locusts, they don't seem to play a role. Not in Gog Magog anyway. The ramparts of Gog Magog aka the Great Wall of China seem to have separated them from Russia in history.

I often wonder why. Arguments from absence aren't good ones, but their absence is interesting. I keep thinking something sometime takes them down, out of the picture, but again because prophecy is focused on Israel and the Middle East, it's hard to say if they are still a threat in the whole end times prophetic package.

But still.... I wonder.

 

[TCC]

And China will get a wakeup call as to how far behind America they are in weapons capabilities. Military shows and parades are impressive, but real warfare reveals reality.

And that, especially after how involved they are in stealing intellectual property as often as the rest of the world changes socks. There is just something in the secret sauce only discernable through God's given blessing (for whatever affect) to American military superiority. Amen.

 

[1LoverofGod]

And other than some theologians seeing them in the "kings of the east" or as Hal Lindsay thought as part of the demonic army of locusts, they don't seem to play a role. Not in Gog Magog anyway. The ramparts of Gog Magog aka the Great Wall of China seem to have separated them from Russia in history.

I often wonder why. Arguments from absence aren't good ones, but their absence is interesting. I keep thinking something sometime takes them down, out of the picture, but again because prophecy is focused on Israel and the Middle East, it's hard to say if they are still a threat in the whole end times prophetic package.

But still.... I wonder.

I have had my doubts about China being the Kings of the East, two hundred.million army of Revelation 9 simply because of the extreme decline in demographics of China as a result of the one child policy that has been gradually collapsing their economy and is projected to impact their military.
Here is a recent article explaining.....

China is facing a demographic bomb— and it could handcuff Beijing’s ambitions​

Last week, Beijing’s release of China’s national birth count for 2025 left demographers stunned.
The national birth total plummeted by over 17% from 2024 to 2025, the PRC disclosed.

And these are only the latest readings from the astonishing birth crash that’s commenced under Xi Jinping’s rule: a drop by over half in just eight years that shows no sign as yet of abating.
Tumbling birth rates have already thrown China into depopulation, with over four deaths for every three births in 2025.

Further, China’s fertility collapse constrains CCP prospects for expanding its power worldwide.
The unforgiving consequences of super-low fertility today will gradually but inescapably tighten a strategic straitjacket on economic and military options for “China 2049” — the 100th anniversary of Communist power, and the year when Beijing envisions the dawn of its global mastery.

The military itself, moreover, will likely be comprised almost entirely of only children — and therefore prone to an extreme form of casualty aversion.

Will a future People’s Liberation Army really contemplate an invasion of Taiwan if it would visit such a disaster on millions of Chinese families — with unpredictable repercussions for the regime itself?

China is facing a demographic bomb— and it could handcuff Beijing’s ambitions

Births plummeted by 17% last year — and regime leaders don’t yet seem to understand it’s much easier for a police state to force birth rates down than to coax them back up.

nypost.com

 

[Margery]

I have had my doubts about China being the Kings of the East, two hundred.million army of Revelation 9 simply because of the extreme decline in demographics of China as a result of the one child policy that has been gradually collapsing their economy and is projected to impact their military.
Here is a recent article explaining.....

China is facing a demographic bomb— and it could handcuff Beijing’s ambitions​

Last week, Beijing’s release of China’s national birth count for 2025 left demographers stunned.
The national birth total plummeted by over 17% from 2024 to 2025, the PRC disclosed.

And these are only the latest readings from the astonishing birth crash that’s commenced under Xi Jinping’s rule: a drop by over half in just eight years that shows no sign as yet of abating.
Tumbling birth rates have already thrown China into depopulation, with over four deaths for every three births in 2025.

Further, China’s fertility collapse constrains CCP prospects for expanding its power worldwide.
The unforgiving consequences of super-low fertility today will gradually but inescapably tighten a strategic straitjacket on economic and military options for “China 2049” — the 100th anniversary of Communist power, and the year when Beijing envisions the dawn of its global mastery.

The military itself, moreover, will likely be comprised almost entirely of only children — and therefore prone to an extreme form of casualty aversion.

Will a future People’s Liberation Army really contemplate an invasion of Taiwan if it would visit such a disaster on millions of Chinese families — with unpredictable repercussions for the regime itself?

China is facing a demographic bomb— and it could handcuff Beijing’s ambitions

Births plummeted by 17% last year — and regime leaders don’t yet seem to understand it’s much easier for a police state to force birth rates down than to coax them back up.

nypost.com

The population collapse in China and Russia both is already making an impact and it's one of the reasons Pete Garcia thinks the window of time is very short for various end time prophecies. Whether he is right or not, it does add an interesting element into understanding where we sit in history.

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

The population collapse in China and Russia both is already making an impact and it's one of the reasons Pete Garcia thinks the window of time is very short for various end time prophecies. Whether he is right or not, it does add an interesting element into understanding where we sit in history.

I give some credence to Pete's theory. God is a mathematician God and i believe he has a numbers and time purpose for everything.

So maybe the time and season for Russia and China to do something is within this period

 

[TCC]

As I would understand Revelation, the 6th trumpet would be (in the best timeline i can estimate) pretty much at or very close to the tribulation midpoint. Making it 3.5 years into the tribulation. It would seem to me, yes, China is a king of the East for its size and being "East." But i also tend to think not as well. Because the description of what that army looks like does not sound like men. Maybe supernatural or maybe some robot soldier/drone hybrid? We are not in that age yet and may be hard to tell. Also it seems to be something angels have to hold back during the tribulation. And that also seems beyond a military population to me.

With the AI explosion today, we could double knowledge exponentially even during the age of grace. Perhaps even more when God removes age of grace protections from what evil plans and disasters might look like in that differing than our age. When all the stops are lifted. Except these four angels. And then when they are removed, wow, something unimaginable (if that could even be said at that time after having gone through 5 trumpets and 6 seals).

Theologically my guess would be that the key to this enigma would likely be found more so in the riddle of the four angels holding something back than on the size of human military during the age of grace. With all of that, I don't rule China out, because it does mention "East." And maybe its not the size of China's military as much as a tip of the hat to perhaps them surpassing the USA in AI technology and creating a technologically massive AI created (mass 3D printing etc) makeshift armies. It just seems that there is quite a bit more going on in the sixth trumpet than military size to me. I think China currently is at 2 million troops now. Quite a ways to go...lol. There could certainly be very heavy reasons for China to issue a major draft during the first half of the tribulation as well. Me thinks. Fascinating to consider. Blessings.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Have any Bereans noticed that the judgment that mentions King's of the East and the judgment that mentions 200 million are not the same judgment?

 

[TCC]

Have any Bereans noticed that the judgment that mentions King's of the East and the judgment that mentions 200 million are not the same judgment?

There you go again brother. Ruining a perfectly good biblical rumor. You should be ashamed. lol. JK. Excellent point.

What we have seemed to have done is take Rev 16 and philosophically shoehorn it in with Rev 9 because of the River Euphrates mention. I guess it might just seem to be a king in charge of armies. But you are correct, this reference is for Armageddon and not specified in Rev 9.

You actually made me to see something new i did not consider before TT In Rev 16 it does not say that the kings of the east do anything. Just that the River dries up to likely include them for Armageddon where "all the kings of the earth are invited by demons."

This seems to be a pure case of modern eisegesis. Reading things into passages that tend to lead by pragmatics (like the size of an army). This is a good exegetical consideration lesson for sure.

. . . . .

It does seem that Rev 16 mentions Euphrates specifically for its utility for East King access. Whereas in Rev 9, it could almost sound like this...to me anyway...

"The four Angeles at the corners of the earth have their backs touching at the Euphrates river?"

 

[Margery]

Have any Bereans noticed that the judgment that mentions King's of the East and the judgment that mentions 200 million are not the same judgment?

yup. Kings of the east and the demon locusts are very different. Both tend to get confused with China when people look at the news and try to make stuff fit.

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

yup. Kings of the east and the demon locusts are very different. Both tend to get confused with China when people look at the news and try to make stuff fit.

Yeah and kinda makes me wonder what will end up happening to China or what their fate is since the bible doesn't really specifically mention them

 

[Amethyst]

So then why do so many equate China with the 200 mil? I think Hal Lindsey was one as well.

And what is their response when they’re challenged about this?

 

[TCC]

So then why do so many equate China with the 200 mil? I think Hal Lindsey was one as well.

And what is their response when they’re challenged about this?

From what ever I understood, they were never challenged. Since apocalyptic literature is daunting and rather challenging, I think we can tend to map verses to things so I guess we don't feel as disconnected?

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

So then why do so many equate China with the 200 mil? I think Hal Lindsey was one as well.

And what is their response when they’re challenged about this?

They pull out their swords and challenge each other to a duel.........


Lol sorry darlin i was taking the mickey

 

[Tall Timbers]

So then why do so many equate China with the 200 mil? I think Hal Lindsey was one as well.

And what is their response when they’re challenged about this?

It seems to go way back to a day when someone indicated China could field a 200 million man army. Some grabbed on to that and from then on the kings of the east and that army have been connected at the hip in the minds of many.

 

[Margery]

Hal Lindsay in Late Great Planet Earth mentioned that he figured the demon locust army colours indicated which army and I think the UN was for blue, Russia was red, and China was yellow. There were other confusions in that book that took a while for other theologians to sort out, but the confusion stuck.

It seems to go way back to a day when someone indicated China could field a 200 million man army. Some grabbed on to that and from then on the kings of the east and that army have been connected at the hip in the minds of many.

and also this.