JAIRAN

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Sanctioned ship carrying sodium percholrate arrived at Bandar Abbas Anchorage

Early on March 29, the 'Jairan', the second of two sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) ships, carrying sodium perchlorate from China, was spotted at Bandar Abbas Anchorage in pos. 56.3515 N 26.9960 E, midway between the islands of Qeshm and Hormoz. The vessel appeared to still have containers on deck, and was likely to be awaiting a berth at which to unload within the Bandar Abbas commercial port. The ship is unlikely to move from the Bandar Abbas anchorage until after the Eid festival, which has just started and marks the end of the month of Ramadan in Iran. The Iranian authorities appeared to have taken no particular security measures to safeguard the 'Jairan', which had sailed from Shanghai without port calls and with its AIS identification system switched on, nor did the vessel appear to have an escort whilst awaiting a berth. Once ashore, the sodium perchlorate is likely to be shipped by rail to Tehran, and thence to a processing facility to be converted into ammonium perchlorate. The recent imported cargoes on both the 'Jairan' and the container m/v 'Golbon' (IMO: 9283033) would be sufficient to fuel approximately 250 medium range Khybar-Shikan and Fattah missiles, or shorter range Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles, or their Houthi equivalents.

Sanctioned vessel en route to Bandar Abbas with sodium perchlorate

The 'Jairan', loaded with sodium perchlorate in Liuheng, was an estimated two days’ sailing from its destination Bandar Abbas on March 26, 2025, with an ETA as of March 27. On March 23 the vessel was sailing at a speed of 12-13 knots west of Mumbai and had about 850 nautical miles to go. The ship was the second of two sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) units that berthed in Shanghai in January to load the chemical, which is the main precursor for ammonium perchlorate, used by most Iranian medium range solid-fuel ballistic missiles. The same material has been intercepted en route from Iran to Houthi forces in Yemen, where it is used to fuel the Palestine-2 missiles which have in recent days been fired at Israel. The Palestine-2 is a derivative of the Iranian Fateh-110 missile. The three IRGC Navy intelligence collection vessels 'Saviz', 'Artenos' and 'Sheba' should be able to provide maritime threat information coverage for the 'Jairan' shortly.

Iranian ships, carrying ingredient for missile propellant, will sail to Iran

The 'Golbon' (IMO: 9289033) and 'Jairan', both carrying an ingredient for missile propellant, will sail from China to Iran in the next few weeks according intelligence from security officials in two Western countries. The transactions could make the Chinese entities involved subject to U.S. sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's weapons programs, as the two Iranian vessels are already under U.S. sanctions. were expected to carry more than 1,000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate, which is used to make ammonium perchlorate, the main ingredient for solid propellant for missiles. Ammonium perchlorate is among chemicals controlled by the Missile Technology Export Control Regime, a voluntary international anti-proliferation body. Both vessels were initially expected to sail directly to Bandar Abbas without further port calls. Now that the Chinese authorities have been alerted as to what has been loaded in Shanghai, it is possible that the ships’ itinerary and cargo may be adjusted.