Chinese Satellites Assisted Iran in Targeting a US Base

Washington, Agencies: The Wall Street Journal revealed that U.S. officials linked high-resolution satellite images obtained by Iran from Chinese sources to the missile attack that targeted the Al-Muwaffaq Air Base in Jordan last July, which killed three U.S. soldiers and injured four others. Citing U.S. officials familiar with the details of the incident, the newspaper reported that Tehran acquired high-resolution images of the Jordanian base prior to the attack, and that these images helped Iranian forces select higher-impact targets within the facility and assess the results of the strike. According to the Wall Street Journal, this information represents the clearest indicator yet that Chinese support for Iran during the war could have lethal consequences for U.S. forces. The U.S. officials did not directly accuse the Chinese government of directing or participating in the planning of the attack, nor did they disclose the names of the Chinese entities that provided the images. The newspaper notes that the United States has previously warned Beijing against providing such assistance and has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of supplying satellite imagery or space-related services to Iran. Among the companies targeted by U.S. measures were those involved in Earth imaging via satellites. The case raises broader U.S. concerns about the potential expansion of technical cooperation between China and Iran into more sensitive military areas, particularly reconnaissance, target acquisition, and monitoring the movements of U.S. troops and ships in the region. U.S. sources say the concern extends beyond the use of satellite imagery to pinpoint land-based facilities, encompassing the possibility that Tehran could receive help tracking U.S. naval vessels deployed in the Gulf and the Middle East, thereby gaining additional intelligence on the locations and movements of its military targets. U.S. Department of Defense officials believe that curbing the flow of Chinese technologies and space-related data to Iran could affect Tehran’s ability to carry out more precise operations, particularly given its growing reliance on reconnaissance and intelligence assets to enhance the effectiveness of its missiles and drones.