The US has accused China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) of supplying chipmaking equipment to Iran’s military, drawing concerns about Beijing’s position in the ongoing US-Israel war with Tehran.
Speaking anonymously, two senior officials from President Donald Trump’s administration claimed that the partially state-owned enterprise began shipments about a year ago and may still be continuing, according to Reuters.
They added that the equipment was sent to Iran’s “military industrial complex” and could support electronics needing semiconductors, though its application in the conflict remains unclear.
The sources did not reveal whether the equipment included US-origin technology, which could breach Washington’s sanctions on Iran if confirmed.
“We have no reason to believe that any of this has stopped,” one of the insiders told Reuters, adding the partnership “almost certainly included technical training on SMIC’s semiconductor technology.”
SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker based in Shanghai, has faced US trade restrictions since 2020 over alleged ties to the People’s Liberation Army’s industrial network.
The firm has denied those claims, while Beijing continued its usual commercial trade with Iran.
‘Not Familiar’
SMIC, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and Iran’s mission to the UN did not respond to the intelligence report, Reuters said.
Separately, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told AFP in an interview that he was “not familiar with the situation.”
“What I can tell you is that recently, some media have been keen on releasing some news that seems right but instead is wrong,” the outlet quoted Lin as saying.
The East Asian government has stayed neutral since the Middle East conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran began in late February.
Amid the escalation in recent weeks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for renewed peace talks between the parties involved, urging them to “seize every opportunity” for negotiations.
