Iran is close to a deal with China to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles, according to sources, just as the US deploys a vast naval force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic. The deal for the Chinese-made CM-302 missiles was near completion, though no delivery date had been agreed, the people said.The supersonic missiles have a range of about 290 km and are designed to evade shipborne defences by flying low and fast.Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer, said, “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s first option with Tehran was diplomacy but he was willing to use lethal force if necessary, his spokeswoman said. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Iran was ready take any necessary steps to reach a deal with the US.Meanwhile, a revolutionary court in Tehran has issued a death sentence for an Iranian man, Mohammad Abbasi, who is accused of “enmity against god”, following protests in January, a source said. Later, an Iranian military helicopter crashed into a fruit and vegetable market in central Iran on Tuesday, reportedly killing at least four people.