Exclusive: Second Iranian ship suspected of carrying missile ingredient leaves China

FILE - Sacks of ammonium perchlorate, a chemical commonly used to make missile fuel, are found on a fishing vessel intercepted by US naval forces in the Gulf of Oman in November 2022.

A second Iranian ship that Western news reports have named as part of a scheme to import a missile propellant ingredient from China is heading to Iran with a major cargo load, an exclusive VOA analysis has found. Ship-tracking websites show the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Jairan departed China on Monday, a month later than the expected departure cited by one of the news reports.