China has been accused of supplying Iran with high-quality satellite images that aided in a fatal drone and missile attack on American troops stationed at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 17. The strike, which occurred while service members were sleeping, resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injured four others. This alleged collaboration represents the most significant evidence to date of Chinese support for Iran during its conflict with the U.S., with officials suggesting the collusion has had deadly consequences.
US officials indicated that the satellite imagery was among the tools Iran utilized to identify strike locations, enabling analysis of attack effectiveness and potential future targets. Iran also employs its own satellite technology and imagery from Russia, according to sources familiar with the matter. When questioned about the technology, Chinese counterparts reportedly denied any connection to their companies.
The allegations could complicate Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Washington D.C. on September 24, his first in a decade. This visit follows a meeting between President Trump and Xi in Beijing in May, aimed at de-escalating tensions related to sanctions and export restrictions. A truce on additional US tariffs and China's planned taxes on rare-earth exports, which expires on November 10, was extended during that meeting.
The State Department previously announced sanctions in May against China-based entities for providing satellite imagery that facilitated Iranian military strikes. The department stated that "The United States will continue to take action to hold China-based entities accountable for their support to Iran and ensure Iran cannot reconstitute its proliferation-sensitive programs following Operation Epic Fury." The department identified Meentropy Technology as a China-based geospatial intelligence firm that published open-source images of US military activity, and Earth Eye for sharing satellite imagery with Iran. MizarVision, Earth Eye, and Chang Guang had previously faced sanctions in the spring for allegedly providing images that could aid Iran in targeting US forces. Chang Guang was also accused of supplying satellite imagery to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The three service members killed in the July 17 attack were identified as Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii; Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas; and Angel Rampersad, 28, of New York. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack but did not initially disclose the strikes on American troops in Jordan, focusing instead on retaliatory actions against Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy denied the allegations, stating that China's cooperation with Iran did not violate international law and characterized the accusations as "maliciously linking and smearing other countries."