Iran Bombs US Using Chinese Satellite, Beijing Cites Hidden Motives

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Iran is reported to have used a Chinese-made spy satellite to assist in targeting United States military bases in the Middle East. The satellite is said to provide Tehran with new capabilities in directing drone and missile attacks on several US military facilities. A Financial Times report states that the satellite named TEE-01B was built and launched by the Chinese company Earth Eye, before being secretly acquired by the Air Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at the end of 2024. This information comes from leaked Iranian military documents. In those documents, Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor various major US military bases. Monitoring was conducted using timestamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery, and orbit analysis. The satellite imagery was captured in March, just before and after drone and missile attacks on several US military locations in the Middle East region. This has led to suspicions that the satellite was used to aid the targeting process. As part of this cooperation, the IRGC also gained access to the commercial ground station network of Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite control services company. Emposat’s network is reported to span Asia, Latin America, and several other regions. The satellite reportedly photographed Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on 13 to 15 March. On 14 March, US President Donald Trump confirmed that US aircraft at the base had been hit in an attack. Additionally, the satellite monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, an area near the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil airport in Iraq. This monitoring occurred close to the timing of attacks claimed by the IRGC at those locations. China’s Foreign Ministry has denied the report. They stated that the accusations are untrue and accused parties of deliberately spreading rumours to associate Beijing with the conflict. “China firmly denies such practices driven by hidden motives,” the ministry said to Reuters, quoted from Straits Times, Friday (17/4/2026). The White House and several US agencies, including the CIA and Pentagon, have not provided official comments on the report. However, a White House spokesperson referred to Trump’s statement warning that China would face “big problems” if it provides air defence systems to Iran.