Did Iran use Chinese spy satellite to target US bases during war? Beijing reacts

Iran secretly acquired a Chinese-built spy satellite in late 2024 that allowed it to target US bases across the Middle East during the recent war, according to a Financial Times report. However, China on Wednesday strongly denied such claims, calling them “purely fabricated” and threatened countermeasures if the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on China if it was found supplying weapons to Iran.

China’s response came after a report by the Financial Times stated that the spy satellite, identified as TEE-01B, was built and launched by Chinese firm Earth Eye Co. The satellite was later acquired by the Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said, citing leaked Iranian military documents.

Iranian commanders allegedly used the satellite to track key US military installations using time-stamped coordinates, satellite imagery and orbital data. The images were reportedly captured in March, before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations, the Financial Times reported.

As part of the arrangement, the IRGC was also given access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, which has a network spanning Asia, Latin America and other regions, the report said.

The satellite is said to have captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14 and 15. On March 14, US President Donald Trump confirmed that American aircraft stationed at the base had been hit.

The Financial Times report claimed that the satellite monitored other strategic sites, including the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, areas near the US Fifth Fleet’s naval base in Bahrain's Manama and Erbil airport in Iraq, around the time the IRGC claimed attacks in those regions.

Responding to the allegations, the Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed them, saying it “firmly opposed” what it described as speculative and insinuative disinformation targeting China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also rejected claims that Beijing was providing military support to Tehran.

“Media reports accusing China of providing military support to Iran are purely fabricated. If the US goes ahead with tariff hikes on China on the basis of these accusations, China will respond with countermeasures,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.

TRUMP THREATENS CHINA WITH 50% TARIFF AMID IRAN WAR

The development came days after Trump warned that the US could impose steep tariffs on countries, including China, that it believes are supporting Iran in the ongoing Middle East war, now in its seventh week.

Trump was reacting to reports that US intelligence had assessed China may be preparing a weapons shipment to Iran during a fragile two-week ceasefire that began on April 8. According to those reports, the proposed transfer could include air defence systems routed through third countries to obscure their origin.

“I doubt they would do that... but if we catch them doing that, they get a 50 per cent tariff, which is a staggering amount,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

The tariff threat applies broadly to any country found supplying military equipment to Iran, but Trump singled out China while responding to questions about a report citing unnamed US intelligence sources. A CNN report said Beijing could deliver new air defence systems to Iran in the coming weeks.

During the Fox News interview, Trump also suggested the US could supply crude oil to China, both domestically and via Venezuela, a country Washington effectively controls following the dramatic capture of President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Despite longstanding US sanctions, Chinese firms have continued to provide Iran with dual-use technology that can support weapons development.

Beijing, for its part, has sought to maintain a delicate balance, projecting neutrality while remaining a key economic partner of Iran, particularly as a major buyer of its oil.

Meanwhile, Iran has been supplying Russia with Shahed drones for use in the four-year-old Ukraine war and remains a major oil supplier to China despite sanctions.

- Ends

(with inputs from Reuters)

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