A Reuters investigation blows a hole in the personal assurance Xi gave Trump in Beijing, and in the deterrence logic built on top of it. The delivery route runs from Urumqi through Pakistan to Iran; Beijing calls the report "completely groundless"; Pakistan's military PR also denies involvement, and the contract is reportedly already signed. The deal is valued at $60-70 million and was signed while Xi Jinping was telling Trump, face to face in Beijing, that China would never arm the Islamic Republic. According to Reuters' sourcing, Tehran also explored overland routes as a discreet backup logistics option to move Chinese military supplies more discreetly and reduce interdiction risk. The MANPADS deal is part of a sustained pattern of Chinese military and intelligence support to Iran conducted below the threshold of a direct Beijing-Washington confrontation.