U.S. officials say Iran obtained high-resolution satellite images from Chinese entities before a July missile strike on a U.S. military base in Jordan that killed three American soldiers, raising new concerns about how Chinese technology is strengthening Tehran’s ability to target U.S. forces.
According to a Sept. 11 investigation by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Iran acquired detailed images of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in northeastern Jordan before its July 17 attack and obtained additional imagery afterward. U.S. officials told the WSJ they had connected the imagery to the attack, although they did not identify the Chinese entities involved or accuse Beijing of directly participating in the strike.
The Iranian ballistic missile struck a housing area while American military personnel were sleeping, killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding four others. Iran also targeted manned and unmanned aircraft at the base, according to U.S. officials.
The WSJ described the finding as the clearest evidence yet that Chinese support for Iran during the conflict has had lethal consequences for American forces. Iran reportedly obtained imagery both before and after the attack, potentially allowing it not only to identify targets but also to assess damage afterward.
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US had already warned about Chinese satellite companies
Washington had been warning for months that Chinese companies were providing Iran with satellite capabilities that could be used against American troops.
Earlier this year, the United States sanctioned Chinese satellite companies including MizarVision, The Earth Eye and Chang Guang Satellite Technology. The Financial Times reported on the sanctions, saying U.S. officials accused the companies of supplying imagery that could help Iran and its allies identify American and allied military assets in the Middle East.
Official U.S. sanctions records also identify MizarVision, The Earth Eye and Chang Guang under Iran-related sanctions authorities. The U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions listing shows the companies were targeted as Washington intensified efforts to disrupt foreign support for Iran’s military programs.
High-resolution imagery can give military planners a much more current picture of a base than ordinary maps or older satellite photographs, revealing changes in aircraft positions, buildings and other potential targets. Imagery taken after a strike can also help determine what was destroyed and whether another attack is needed.
Former CIA analyst Jim Lamson, who specialized in Iran’s military and weapons programs, told the WSJ that the combined effect of Chinese satellite imagery and other technology on Iran’s long-range strike capabilities was “starting to look fairly substantial.”
The allegations have also become politically sensitive ahead of an expected meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Trump played down the controversy Sunday. Asked about the report, he told reporters aboard Air Force One, “They basically do what we do,” according to Reuters. “When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them too.”
Beijing rejected the accusations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters, “We firmly oppose unfounded suspicions and accusations made without evidence,” Reuters reported.
Russia reportedly helping Iran develop advanced cruise missiles
China is not the only major power accused of helping Iran improve its ability to strike American forces.
A separate Financial Times investigation found that Russia has secretly helped Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise-missile technology through a program code-named C430L. The project began in 2023 and reportedly continued during the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Russian missile specialists have reportedly been helping Iran develop a ramjet propulsion system capable of keeping a cruise missile flying at several times the speed of sound. Experts said the technology is most likely intended for anti-ship and land-attack missiles.
“This is the transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades,” Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst with Conflict Armament Research, told the Financial Times. He added that “a programme like this would require political clearance from the very top in Russia.”
Iran has reportedly built and flight-tested the ramjet propulsion system, although there is currently no evidence that a Russian-assisted supersonic cruise missile has entered operational service.
Such weapons could pose a particular threat to U.S. naval forces. Supersonic cruise missiles combine high speed with low-altitude flight, shortening the time available for ships and missile-defense systems to detect and intercept them.
Lamson said the implications could be significant. “For the Iranians, this would give them a qualitatively new strategic weapon system that could threaten U.S. Navy vessels,” he said according to the FT investigation.
Together, the Chinese satellite imagery and Russian missile assistance point to a broader challenge for Washington. Iran is increasingly able to draw on foreign technology to compensate for weaknesses in battlefield intelligence and advanced weapons development.
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