Photo: EPA
Iran secretly acquired a Chinese reconnaissance satellite at the end of 2024, which allowed Tehran to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the war, according to the Financial Times, citing Iranian documents.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces purchased the TEE-01B satellite, built by the Chinese company Earth Eye Co, after it was launched into space from China.
As part of the deal, the IRGC gained access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Chinese satellite services and data transmission provider whose network spans Asia, Latin America, and other regions.
According to the FT, Iranian military commanders used the satellite to monitor key U.S. military facilities. The satellite reportedly captured images of the Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14, and 15. On March 14, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American aircraft at the base had been struck.
The satellite also tracked the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan, sites near the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Manama (Bahrain), and Erbil airport in Iraq, around the time Tehran claimed to have carried out strikes in those areas.
The White House did not comment on links between Emposat and the Iranian military, but a spokesperson referred to Trump’s recent remarks warning that China would face “big problems” if it supplied Iran with air defense systems.
“We firmly oppose relevant parties spreading speculative disinformation against China,” said the Chinese embassy in Washington.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that China has helped Iran mitigate the impact of sanctions and has for years supported its military infrastructure financially, suggesting Iran would not have been able to sustain the war without long-term Chinese backing.
