China’s Ministry of National Defense said it is prepared to export its Chengdu J-10 multirole fighter jet to “friendly countries,” underscoring Beijing’s push to expand its defense exports and signaling growing confidence in its domestically produced combat aircraft. The ministry’s spokesman, Jiang Bin, did not name prospective buyers, but the statement follows multiple media reports that Iran is in discussions to procure the J-10C variant as it seeks to modernize air defenses battered in recent clashes with Israel. Any sale to Tehran could be complicated if Britain, France and Germany trigger the UN ‘snapback’ mechanism that would re-impose international arms restrictions on Iran. China, once heavily reliant on Russian military hardware, has increasingly supplanted Moscow in some export markets by fielding newer platforms such as the J-10C. Analysts view the aircraft’s potential debut in Iran as a further sign of Beijing’s ambition to expand its influence through arms sales while showcasing the maturity of its domestic aerospace industry.