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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used Chinese satellite technology to help target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing leaked Iranian military documents.
According to the report, the IRGC acquired the TEE-01B satellite in late 2024 after it was built and launched into space from China by Earth Eye Co. The newspaper said the documents showed the satellite gave Iranian forces access to higher-resolution imagery than Iran’s own satellites could provide.
The FT said the material it reviewed included time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery and orbital analysis, and showed Iranian commanders used the satellite to monitor major U.S. military sites across the region.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.
The Financial Times said the satellite was acquired after its launch by Earth Eye Co, a Chinese company whose website says it offers “in orbit delivery” systems.
The report also said the IRGC was granted access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based provider of satellite control and data services with a network extending across Asia, Latin America and other regions.
According to the FT, the arrangement gave Iran access to commercial satellite support that expanded its ability to observe military sites in the Middle East.
The FT said both Earth Eye Co and Emposat did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters also said the two companies did not immediately respond to its queries.
The FT said the data helped Iranian forces target or survey U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Djibouti.
According to the report, Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor major U.S. military sites and images were taken in March before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations.
The FT said the satellite captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14 and 15.
It added that Trump confirmed on March 14 that U.S. planes at the base had been hit.
The report also said the satellite monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations near the U.S. Fifth Fleet naval base in Manama, Bahrain, as well as Erbil airport in Iraq, around the time of IRGC-claimed attacks on facilities in those areas.
According to the FT, when asked whether the Chinese government had any knowledge of the relationship between Emposat and the IRGC, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said: “We firmly oppose relevant parties spreading speculative and insinuative disinformation against China.”
Reuters said China’s foreign affairs ministry, defense ministry and embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to its requests for comment.
The White House, CIA and Pentagon also did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The FT said the White House did not comment on the relationship between Emposat and the IRGC, but referred to comments Trump made over the weekend.
The report surfaced at a time when scrutiny is growing over possible Chinese support for Iran.
Earlier this week, CNN reported that U.S. intelligence indicated China was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments.
Asked by CNN whether he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the matter, Trump said Beijing would face consequences if it sent weapons to Tehran.
“If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” Trump said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told CNN: “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
The FT report added a new layer to questions over China-Iran ties, saying leaked Iranian military documents showed Tehran used Chinese satellite and ground-station support to track and target U.S. military positions across the Middle East.
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