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U.S. officials have tied high-resolution satellite images supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan in July, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, a finding that could deepen U.S.-China tensions ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Citing officials familiar with the matter, the Journal said Iran obtained the imagery both before and after the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where ballistic missiles struck a housing area, killing three American troops and wounding four others.
The report called it the clearest evidence yet that Chinese support for Iran during the war has had lethal consequences for U.S. forces.
Iranian ballistic missiles struck a housing area at the base in northeastern Jordan where American troops were sleeping, killing three soldiers and wounding four others, who were medically evacuated. Iran also targeted manned and unmanned aircraft at the base, according to other U.S. officials.
The strike was one of three separate missile attacks on the base within 24 hours and marked a significant escalation in the war, resulting in the first U.S. deaths since an April ceasefire and exposing the difficulty of protecting American forces even at a heavily defended installation.
Within three days of the attack, Iran released high-resolution images showing damage to three separate areas of the base.
Publicly available lower-resolution satellite imagery analyzed by the Journal showed damage to more than 20 structures across those areas.
U.S. officials declined to identify the Chinese entities that supplied the imagery to Iran and did not allege direct involvement by the Chinese government.
Senior U.S. officials raised the imagery linked to the July 17 attack with their Chinese counterparts, who pushed back and demanded proof, according to the officials.
China has repeatedly refused to acknowledge that Chinese companies are engaged in such activity.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not address the specific U.S. allegations directly.
A spokesperson said unnamed critics were "maliciously linking and smearing other countries" by exploiting the conflict, adding that China's cooperation with Iran complied with international law.
The strikes came after senior Trump officials spent months warning Chinese counterparts that Chinese companies were providing satellite imagery Iran could use to target U.S. personnel and assets in the region, according to officials.
The Trump administration sanctioned several Chinese companies in May, saying that supplying satellite imagery to Iran "threatens American and partner personnel."
Publicly, senior administration officials have played down the impact of Chinese assistance to Iran.
Days after the July 17 attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Asked afterward whether China was providing Iran with targeting information, Rubio declined to answer directly, saying "nothing that China has done has in any way changed the trajectory of the, of what you’re seeing in terms of the conflicts we’re having with Iran."
A White House official said no assistance Iran was receiving from outside actors had enhanced its ability to attack the U.S., without directly addressing the imagery finding.
Trump has told his team that maintaining good relations with China and Xi is a priority, and senior officials have sought to avoid public confrontations with Beijing that could overshadow the planned Sept. 24 summit.
Earlier in the war, U.S. strikes on Iranian radar, satellites and other equipment degraded Tehran's battlefield awareness, with Iran often hitting locations of lesser military significance, an indication it lacked a clear picture of U.S. bases.
But officials say Iran's targeting appeared to improve over the summer.
Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst who specialized in Iran's military and weapons, said fresh, high-resolution images from Chinese sources could reveal recent changes at a base and help Iran "select the most impactful targets in a timely manner," while post-strike imagery could help Tehran assess strike effectiveness and plan further attacks.
Analysts say the imagery likely represents just one of several intelligence streams available to Iran, which also draws on its own satellites, human sources, and intelligence and imagery from Russia, according to U.S. officials.
Combined with other Chinese technology flowing to Iran, including navigation services and drone and missile components, Lamson said the overall picture "starts to look pretty substantial" in improving Iran's long-range strike capabilities.
U.S. officials are separately concerned that China could be helping Iran track American naval assets, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to WSJ.
Iran has fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and other warships in recent days, while U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said all such attacks failed; officials described some as close calls and said Iran's ability to target moving ships appeared to be improving.
Officials and analysts say China's satellite industry often blurs the line between commercial and state companies, since even ostensibly private firms operate under extensive government oversight and many maintain links to the government or the Chinese Communist Party.
In May, the Trump administration sanctioned three Chinese companies, MizarVision, Earth Eye and Chang Guang, for providing, collecting or publishing imagery Iran could use to target U.S. forces.
State Department officials had previously accused Chang Guang of supplying satellite imagery that directly supported attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, calling the support "unacceptable."
The administration has briefed congressional intelligence committee members in recent weeks on support both Russia and China are providing to Iran, according to congressional officials cited by the report.
Even as it faces U.S. pressure over the satellite imagery allegations, Beijing has continued positioning itself publicly as a supporter of diplomacy to end the Iran war.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Beijing that military pressure is not a solution to the U.S.-Iran conflict, saying dialogue and negotiations are the only way forward and that the sovereignty and security of all regional countries should be "fully respected."
Chinese Premier Li Qiang separately told Al Thani that Beijing "supports Qatar's mediation efforts on Middle East issues" and is ready to work with Doha and other regional countries "to strive for early peace and tranquility in the region."
Al Thani said Qatar was "keen to elevate its relations" with China, with the two sides also discussing expanded cooperation in trade, energy and investment. Qatar and Pakistan have jointly mediated between Washington and Tehran since the war began Feb. 28, brokering a June memorandum of understanding that later stalled amid disagreements over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz before hostilities resumed in July.
China imports roughly 30% of its liquefied natural gas from Qatar, and the ongoing war has disrupted broader Middle Eastern energy supplies flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, which Beijing also relies on for its own Middle East energy imports.
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