China Supplied Iran With Satellite Images of Jordanian Air Base Before Deadly Attack, Report Says

Chinese entities provided Iran with satellite images of a Jordanian air base before and after a missile strike that killed three U.S. service members, according to a report citing U.S. officials.

U.S. officials have reportedly connected high-resolution satellite imagery of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base to Iran's July 17 ballistic missile attack on the facility, The Wall Street Journal reported. The officials, who were not identified and did not accuse the Chinese government of direct involvement, stated that Iran allegedly used the imagery to target the base and subsequently to inspect damage.

The July 17 attack targeted a housing area on the base, killing Army Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York; First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii; and Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas. Four other U.S. service members were injured in the strike.

Chinese officials have reportedly denied any involvement or knowledge of Chinese companies assisting Iran when U.S. officials raised the issue of the satellite imagery linked to the attack, according to The Wall Street Journal.

This report follows a Financial Times article from April, which stated that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) secretly acquired China's TEE-01B spy satellite in September 2024 for approximately $36 million. The IRGC reportedly uses this satellite to monitor key U.S. military sites in the Middle East, with access to ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite control and data services provider.

It remains unclear if the TEE-01B satellite and Emposat are the specific Chinese entities implicated in providing imagery for the July 17 attack.

Previous statements from the Trump administration and top officials have downplayed the impact of foreign assistance on Iran's capabilities. In July, then-President Trump stated, "I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level," regarding reports of Russian and Chinese assistance to Tehran, adding, "And if they have, it has been very unimpactful."

At the time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented, "Nothing that anyone’s doing to help Iran, is in any way increasing their ability to target Americans."

The Wall Street Journal's report emerges less than two weeks before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House for a state dinner.