2001: Iran, China Buy Cruise Missiles from Arms Dealers

Illegal arms dealers sell 12 Soviet Kh55 (X-55) cruise missiles to Iran and six to China. The missiles, with a range of 1550 miles, would give Iran the capability to strike Israel. The missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, were manufactured in 1987 with a reported service life of eight years. [Daily Star (Beirut), 3/18/2005; BBC, 3/18/2005; Financial Times, 3/18/2005; GlobalSecurity (.org), 4/28/2005]