Iran allegedly used a Chinese-built surveillance satellite to monitor United States military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, according to a report published by the Financial Times on Wednesday.
The report claims that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) secretly acquired access to a satellite known as TEE-01B in late 2024. The satellite was built and launched by Chinese firm Earth Eye Co.
Citing leaked Iranian military documents, the newspaper said the satellite was transferred to the IRGC’s Aerospace Force shortly after it was launched into orbit from China.
Monitoring US military sites
According to the report, Iranian military commanders used the satellite to observe key U.S. military installations in the region. The FT said the documents included time-stamped coordinates, orbital tracking analysis and satellite images taken before and after Iranian drone and missile strikes.
Among the locations reportedly monitored was Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The satellite captured imagery of the base between March 13 and March 15.
On March 14, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American aircraft stationed at the facility had been struck.
The report also said the satellite monitored the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, as well as areas near the United States Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama and sites close to Erbil International Airport in Iraq around the time of attacks claimed by the IRGC.
Satellite access and ground stations
The newspaper reported that the agreement also gave Iran access to commercial satellite ground stations operated by Emposat, a company that manages control and data networks across Asia, Latin America and other regions.
However, Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims made in the report.
Responses from governments
Officials from the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency and the United States Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China’s foreign ministry, defence ministry and its embassy in Washington also did not issue an immediate response, while Earth Eye Co and Emposat did not reply to media inquiries.
According to the FT, the White House declined to comment directly on the alleged relationship between Emposat and the IRGC. However, a spokesperson referenced remarks made by Trump earlier in which he warned that China would face “serious consequences” if it supplied Iran with advanced air defence systems.
In response to the allegations, China’s embassy in Washington told the newspaper that Beijing “firmly opposes relevant parties spreading speculative and insinuative disinformation against China.”