U.S. intelligence officials now suspect that Iran used a Chinese-made missile to shoot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran, and if you're surprised that Beijing is arming the people trying to kill our pilots, you haven't been paying attention. China's fingerprints are on every threat we face, and this time they left them on the weapon that took down a two-man American warplane.
But hey, at least we got cheap electronics out of the deal. Totally worth it.
According to reports from NBC News and The Cradle, as detailed by ZeroHedge, the missile in question was a Chinese-made MANPADS — a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile — that Iran allegedly used to bring down the Strike Eagle. This comes after three F-15Es were already shot down over Kuwait back in March, making this the latest in a string of American aircraft losses that should have Washington on a war footing.
Instead, we got President Xi Jinping offering what President Trump himself called a "beautiful promise" about cooperation. "That's a beautiful promise. I take him at his word. I appreciated it," Trump said. With all due respect, Mr. President — the man's country just supplied the missile that knocked our jet out of the sky.
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China's response was predictably shameless. The Chinese Embassy dismissed the allegations as a "groundless smear and ill-intentioned association," adding that "China always acts prudently and responsibly on the export of military products." Prudently and responsibly. That's what they call selling shoulder-fired missiles to a regime that points them at American fighter pilots. In Beijing, "responsible arms exports" apparently means making sure the warhead detonates on impact.
Let's connect the dots that our State Department refuses to draw. China sells weapons to Iran. Iran uses those weapons to shoot down American warplanes. American servicemembers are put in the crosshairs — or worse — because of Chinese hardware. That's not a trade dispute. That's not a diplomatic misunderstanding. That's a supply chain of hostility with American blood at the end of it.
The F-15E Strike Eagle is one of the most capable fighter jets in the world. Two-man crew. Built to dominate. And it got taken down by a Chinese tube launcher that Iran probably bought for the price of a used sedan. If that doesn't make your blood boil, check your pulse.
Reports also indicate that Iran may have access to China's YLC-8B radar system, which would give them significantly enhanced capability to track and target American aircraft. So it's not just the missiles. It's the eyes behind them. Beijing isn't just arming our enemies — they're giving them the whole targeting package.
We send billions to defend allies around the globe. We station our bravest men and women in the most dangerous theaters on earth. And the country we have the largest trade deficit with is handing missiles to the regimes shooting at them. There's a word for that, and it isn't "strategic competitor." It's enemy.
Every container ship from Shanghai that pulls into an American port should come with an asterisk: Contents may fund the next missile aimed at your son or daughter in uniform. But Washington keeps pretending we can separate Chinese commerce from Chinese aggression. We can't. We never could.
The next time someone tells you decoupling from China is "too expensive," show them the wreckage of an F-15E Strike Eagle in the Iranian desert. Then ask them to put a price tag on that.