Iran Used Chinese Satellite to Spy on U.S. Bases During War

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Iran secretly deployed a Chinese-built surveillance satellite to monitor U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, significantly enhancing its targeting capabilities, according to a new investigation by the Financial Times.

The satellite, identified as TEE-01B, was reportedly built and launched by Chinese firm Earth Eye and later acquired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force in late 2024. Leaked Iranian military documents cited in the report indicate the system was actively used to track American and allied installations throughout the war.

According to the findings, Iranian commanders relied on high-resolution satellite imagery, orbital tracking, and time-stamped coordinates to monitor key military sites. The satellite’s capabilities—estimated at roughly half-meter resolution—allowed analysts to detect aircraft, vehicles, and infrastructure changes with precision.

Among the bases reportedly surveilled were Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, and areas surrounding the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Additional monitoring targeted sites in Iraq, Kuwait, Djibouti, Oman, and even civilian infrastructure across the Gulf region.

Notably, Prince Sultan Air Base was imaged on multiple days in March, around the same time U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American aircraft stationed there had come under attack.

The report also revealed that Iran gained access to a network of commercial satellite ground stations operated by Beijing-based Emposat, extending its surveillance reach across multiple continents.

Experts say the satellite played a critical role in Iran’s wartime operations. Nicole Grajewski, an Iran specialist at Sciences Po University, told the FT that the system enabled Tehran to both identify targets in advance and assess the effectiveness of its strikes.

China has denied any involvement in military support to Iran. The Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations as “speculative and insinuative disinformation.”

However, the revelations are likely to intensify scrutiny of Beijing’s strategic relationship with Tehran. China remains one of Iran’s closest allies, particularly in areas tied to missile development and military technology.

President Donald Trump said this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him Beijing would not supply weapons to Iran. Trump stated that the assurance came after direct communication between the two leaders, tied in part to efforts to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz.

“He wrote me a letter saying essentially he’s not doing that,” Trump said in a Fox News interview, referring to Xi’s response to concerns about Chinese support for Iran.

The president is expected to travel to China in May for a high-level meeting with Xi, marking the first such visit by a U.S. president to Beijing in nearly a decade.

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