Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite, giving the Islamic Republic a new capability to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by the Chinese company Earth Eye Co, was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force in late 2024 after it was launched into space from China, the report said, citing leaked Iranian military documents.
The Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor major US military sites, the newspaper said, citing time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery, and orbital analysis. The images were taken in March, before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations, FT said.
In response to the report, China’s Foreign Ministry stated to Reuters that the notion of Iran using its satellite to direct attacks on US targets was – ‘not true.’
The White House, CIA, Pentagon, as well as Earth Eye Co. and Emposat, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
IRGC accessed commercial ground stations
As part of the deal, the IRGC gained access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based provider of satellite control and data services, with a network spanning Asia, Latin America, and other regions, according to the report.
The satellite captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14, and 15, FT said.
On March 14, US President Donald Trump confirmed US planes at the base had been hit.
According to the report, the satellite also monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations close to the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil airport, Iraq, around the time of IRGC-claimed attacks on facilities in those areas.
China sending Iran new air defense systems?
This is not the first time China has been linked with Iran during the conflict.
Last week, CNN reported that US intelligence suggested China was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran in the coming weeks, citing three sources familiar with recent intelligence assessments.
According to the intelligence outlined in the report, Beijing was set to transfer shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems known as MANPADs. These systems represent an asymmetric threat to low-flying US military aircraft, as demonstrated during the five-week war.
In response to the CNN report, a spokesperson for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington stated, “China has never provided weapons to any party in the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
