Amidst the ongoing tension in West Asia, a shocking secret has come to light, which has thrown global diplomacy into new confusion. In viral posts on X (formerly Twitter), commentator Mario Naufal has claimed that four Chinese cargo planes have landed in Iran in just 48 hours. The special thing is that these planes had switched off their transponders as soon as they took off, due to which their location could not be tracked in real-time.
According to aviation experts, switching off the transponder is not normal. This step is mostly taken when a flight wants to keep its mission secret. Many users on social media are asking – Did these planes carry a consignment of weapons to Iran? However, there has been no official confirmation of these claims. Neither any government or independent organization has verified it.
China’s strong denial, America’s warning
China has completely rejected these allegations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday, “These satellite-based claims are nonsense. Completely imaginary. If the US takes any action on these false allegations, we will give a befitting reply.”
Interestingly, recently China had assured America that it will not provide military aid to Iran. In such a situation, these allegations of ‘dark flights’ are raising direct questions on the credibility of Beijing. On the other hand, America has clearly indicated that if any country is caught providing military assistance to Iran, then strict economic sanctions can be imposed against it.
What does it mean to turn off the transponder?
Experts say that turning off a transponder is unusual, but not always suspicious. Sometimes this is done due to security concerns or technical glitches. But doing this by four planes simultaneously and that too at such a sensitive time raises suspicion.
Here, diplomatic efforts on the ground have intensified. There have been indications of talks between America and Iran. The Strait of Hormuz has partially opened after the ceasefire in Lebanon, but regional tension remains. Will these ‘Chinese flights’ add fuel to the fire in the Middle East?