Chinese Gov Entities Shared US Base Images

Did China Help Iran? Chinese Entities Shared US Base Images Before Deadly Strike: Report

Edited by: Anurag Kumar

A report says Chinese entities shared satellite images of a US air base with Iran before a deadly missile strike in Jordan that killed three American troops.

Beijing’s alleged role in the Iran war is coming under fresh scrutiny after Chinese entities allegedly supplied Tehran with high-resolution satellite images of a US military base in Jordan before and after a deadly missile strike, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

US officials told the American daily that Washington has “connected” the high-resolution satellite imagery of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base to Iran’s July 17 ballistic missile attack on the facility.

The officials did not identify the Chinese companies allegedly involved and did not accuse the Chinese government of directly assisting Iran.

The missile attack targeted a housing area at the base and killed three US service members - Army Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York; First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii; and Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas. Four other US service members were wounded.

Chinese Firms, Iranian Surveillance And The US War

According to the report, Chinese officials demanded proof when senior US officials raised the satellite imagery linked to the July 17 attack and refused to acknowledge that Chinese companies may have helped Iran.

The report adds to earlier concerns about the flow of Chinese satellite and intelligence capabilities to Tehran.

The Financial Times reported in April that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) secretly acquired Beijing’s TEE-01B spy satellite in September 2024 for about $36 million. The satellite has reportedly been used to monitor key US military sites across the Middle East.

Under the agreement, the IRGC also receives access to ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite control and data services provider, according to the Financial Times.

It remains unclear whether TEE-01B and Emposat are among the Chinese entities US officials believe were involved in providing imagery connected to the July 17 attack.

The developments come amid broader reports of foreign assistance to Iran during its confrontation with the US. President Donald Trump and senior administration officials have publicly played down the impact of such support.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump said in July, amid reports that both Russia and China had been helping Tehran.

“And if they have, it has been very unimpactful,” the president added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that month: “Nothing that anyone’s doing to help Iran, is in any way increasing their ability to target Americans.”

The latest report comes less than two weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House and attend a state dinner.

The White House has so far not commented on the issue.