Two Iranian cargo vessels carrying an ingredient for missile propellant will sail from China to Iran in the next few weeks, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence from security officials in two Western countries.

Dennis Wilder, a former top China analyst at the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), told the newspaper that China has a long history of arming Iran, which dates back to 1980s when it supplied Silkworm anti-ship missiles during the Iran-Iraq war.

Named the Golbon and the Jairan, the Iranian vessels will carry more than 1,000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate to fuel medium-range missiles.

Iranian cargo vessels will reportedly carry more than 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient to make the missile propellant ammonium perchlorate.