'We couldn’t reach them': Chinese firms’ Iran business in limbo after strikes
Mar 3rd 2026
Joint strikes on Iran have left Chinese exporters and investors facing stalled shipments, delayed payments and unresponsive clients, forcing paused production and uncertain deals.
- Joint US and Israeli strikes since Saturday have disrupted trade and investment flows to Iran.
- Shipments are stalled, payments delayed and Iranian clients are often unreachable, businesspeople say.
- Shenzhen tech executive David Xie says a 5 million yuan contract is stalled after his Iranian client stopped responding despite a paid deposit and production underway.
- Chinese exporters and investors view Iran and the wider region as key growth markets, so the immediate disruption risks near-term revenue and projects.