Leak Alleges Iran Secretly Used China Satellite in Targeting US Military Sites

Destroyed US E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabian airbase

A report by the Financial Times claims that Iran secretly obtained a Chinese-made spy satellite in late 2024, which was later used to track US military installations across the Middle East during the recent conflict. The satellite, identified as TEE-01B and reportedly built and launched by China’s Earth Eye Co, was allegedly acquired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force after its launch from China.

According to the report, citing leaked Iranian military documents, Iranian commanders directed the satellite to monitor key US military positions in the region. These included major bases in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq. The FT said the analysis was supported by time-stamped coordinates, satellite imagery and orbital data showing surveillance activity before and after missile and drone strikes on related targets.

As part of the arrangement, the IRGC is also said to have gained access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite services provider with an international network spanning Asia and Latin America. The company, along with Earth Eye Co, did not respond to requests for comment, while multiple governments and agencies, including the White House, Pentagon, CIA and Chinese ministries, also declined to comment.

The satellite reportedly captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14 and 15, with one of those dates coinciding with claims of US aircraft being hit at the facility. It also allegedly monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, as well as areas near the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain and Erbil airport in Iraq during periods of reported IRGC-linked attacks.

Reuters noted it could not independently verify the claims. Earlier reporting has suggested Iran also received Russian satellite intelligence on US and Israeli targets following the escalation of the conflict in February. That campaign, which lasted around two weeks before a ceasefire, included strikes and counterstrikes across the region and disruptions affecting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.